and on the North side two thousand Cubits and the City shall be in the midst this shall be to them the suburbs of the Cities And among the Cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six Cities for refuge which ye shall appoint for the Manslayer that he may fly thither and to them ye shall adde forty and two Cities So all the Cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight Cities them shall ye give with their Suburbs And the Cities which ye shall give shall be of the possâ—ssion of the Children of Israel from them that have many ye shall give many and from them that have few ye shall give few Everyone shall give of his Cities according to his inheritance which he inheriteth This positive just command of God was given before the Israelites entrance into and conquest of the land of Canaan And this further positive law then likewise made against the sale and alienation of these Glebes and Possessions Levit. 25.32 33 34. Notwithstanding the Cities of the Levites and the Houses of the Cities of their possession may the Levites redeem at any time which others could not doe v. 30 31. And if a man purchase of the Levites then the House that was sold and the City of his possession shall go out in the year of Jubile for the houses of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel but the field of the Suburbs of their City may not be sold for it is their perpetual Possession After this when the land of Canaan was fully conquered by the Israelites and divided amongst the Tribes by bounds and limits we read Josh 21.1 to 43. Then came near the heads of the Fathers of the Levites unto Eleazer the Priest and unto Joshua the son of Nun and unto the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel and they spake unto them at Shilo in the land of Canaan saying The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses in the text forecited To give us Cities to dwell in with the Suburbs thereof for our cattel And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites at the commandment of the Lord mark it all enemies of our Ministers Rectories Lands Glebes Maintenance these Cities and their Suburbs Then follow the Names and Places of the Cities allotted to the Levites proportionably out of every tribe and how they were divided by lot amongst them which you may read in the text it self over large to transcribe After which ensues this cloze of the story v. 8.41 42. And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these Cities and their Suburbs as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses all the Cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight Cities with their Suburbs These Cities were every one with their Suburbs round about them Thus were all the Cities In 1 Chron 6 We have a recital of the Sons and Families of Levi and the Office of the Priests and Levites with the names of all the Cities and Suburbs alloted to them out of every Tribe agreeing with this of Joshua where those who please may read them at their leisure These fourty eight Cities and their Suburbs as some conceive amounted to the tenth or at least twelfth Part of the Cities and Land of Canaan the Priests and Levites according to their number enjoying in proportion as large a share of the promised Land as any of the other Tribes for their Habitation and Glebes besides their Tithes first-Fruits Offerings and other Dues All which as Dr. George Downham and Mr. Samuel Purchas observe amounted to a far greater proportion for the maintenance of that small Tribe than all the Bishopricks Deaneries Benefices Cathedral and College lands Revenues Glebes Tithes and whatsoever Ecclesiastical Profits endowments of the Clergy and Scholars in our whole Kingdom and Nation After this when the Temple of Jerusalem was built where the Priests and Levites were to wait in their several Courses successively by Davids appointment 1 Chron. chap. 23 to chap. 27. 2 Chron. 8.14 15. chap. 23.8 and ch 13 10 11. ch 29.4 chap. 31.2 chap. 35. 2. Levit. 1.5 8 9. they had Houses Chambers lodgings provided for them at Jerusalem near the Temple where some of them constantly dwelt and attended and likewise for the Tithes first-fruits and oblations brought thither to them 1 Chron. 9.10 to 35. chap. 23.28 chap. 28.11 12 13. 2 Chron. 2 to 13. Ezra 8.29 Neh. 10.37 38 39. chap. 12.44 45 47. chap. 13.4 to 15. Ezech 40.4 to 45. chap. 42.1 to 19. chap. 44.19 chap. 46.19 These Cities Suburbs Habitations Chambers the Priests and Levits constantly enjoyed without interruption til the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam when Jeroboam the usurper erected two Golden Calves in Dan and Bethel to keep the people from going up to Jerusalem to worship God there out of carnal fear and suspition saying in his heart Now shall the Kingdom return to the house of David if the people go up to Jerusalem to do Sacrifice in the House of the Lord there then shall the heart of this people turn back again to their Lord even unto Rehoboam King of Judah and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam King of Iudah 1 Kings 12.26 to 33. and then we read 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15 16. The Priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to Rehoboam out of all their Coasts For the Levites left their Suburbs and their Possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from executing the Priests Office unto the Lord and he ordained him Priests for the High Places of the lowest of the People and for the Devils and the Calves which he had made which King Abijah warring with him after his Fathers death when he claimed the right of his usurped Crown thus objected against him and the revolted Tribes 2 Chr 13.4 to 14. Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his Sons by a Covenant of Salt Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the Son of David is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord. And there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the Son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted and could not withstand him And now ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you Golden Calves which Jeroboam made you for Gods Have ye not cast out the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other lands so that whosoever cometh to Consecrate himself with
a young Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business c. For we keep the Charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry allarum against you The issue of this Atheistical State-policy and Sacrilegious deprivation spoliation of Gods Priests and Levites of their Suburbs Possessions Ministry by Jeroboam and his Sons is very remarkable 1 It brought ruine upon his whole Army though double the number of Abijah his host of whom they had a great advantage by an ambushment God himself smiting him and his host so that they fled before Judah and Abijah and his people slâ—w them with a great slaughter so that there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men 2 Chron. 13.13 to 20. The greatest slaughter in one battel that ever we read of in Sacred or prophane Stories before or since 2. It brought Captivity on his Adherents and people who were brought under at that time pursued and had their Cities taken and plundered v. 18 19. 3. It drew down this misery and fatal Judgement on himself v. 20. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the dayes of Abijah and the Lord strook him and he died 4. It became sin to the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth 1 Kings 13.33 34. 5. It made all the succeeding Kings of Israel professed Idolaters and most of them bloudy Murtherers Vsurpers Persecutors and produced perpetual successive civil warrs between Judah and Israel 1 Kings 14.30 chap. 15.6 7 16 32. 2 Chron. 28.4 to 12. 6. It brought final captivity ruine and desolation in conclusion to the whole kingdom of Israel and the ten revolting Tribes 2 Kings 17.20 21 22 23. where this sad story is recorded And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight For he rent Israel from the house of David And they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King of which God thus complains Hos 8.4 They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin for the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them untill the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by all his servants the Prophets So was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria till this Day when as the Kingdom of Judah continued above 134. years after in Davids royal posterity enjoying Gods Priests Levites Prophets and Ordinances till their captivity for their sins in mocking abusing his Messengers Prophets and despising his words 2 Chron. 36.16 17. And then after 70. years captivity they were restored again to their Country re-edified Jerusalem and the Temple and with them the Priests and Levites returning from bondage were restored likewise to their Cities and Glebes of which the Kings of Judah never deprived them as Jeroboam and his Sons and the Kings of Israel who were all Idolaters did whence thus we read Ezra 2.70 So the Priests and the Levites and the Singers and the Porters the Nethinims dwelt in their Cities and all Israel in their Cities Thus seconded Neh. 11.18 20. All the Levites in the holy City were 284. and the residue of Israel of the Priests and Levites were in all the Cities of Judah every Man in his Inheritance and Neh. 13.10 The Levites and Singers that did the work were fled every one to his field In the Prophecie of Ezechiel written during the Jews Captivity in the Land of the Chaldeans Ezech. 1.1 2 3. prophesying of the re-edifiing of the Temple the dimensions and whole fabrick thereof ch 40.1 to 45. we find frequent mention of holy Chambers therein provided for the Priests and their vestments And ch 45.1 to 5. God enjoyns the Israelites by this Prophet upon their restitution to their own Land when they should divide it by Lot for an Inheritance That they should offer an holy portion of the Land an oblation unto the Lord the length thereof twenty five thousand reeds and the breadth ten thousand This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about Of this there shall be for the Sanctuary 500 reeds in length with 500 in breadth square round about and fifty Cubits round about for the Suburbs thereof Then he addes The holy Portion of the land shall be for the Priests the Ministers of the sanctuary which shall come neer to minister unto the Lord and it shall be a place for their Houses and an holy place for the Sanctuary And the 25000. of length and 10000. of breadth Shall also the Levites the Ministers of the House have for themselves for a possession for twenty Chambers In the 47. Chapter verse 13. to the end of the Prophecy he writes of the bounds and division of the land of Canaan after their restitution according to their several tribes in relation to and imitation of the bounds and division of it formerly made and recited by Joshua out of which there was a special portion reserved for the Priests and Levites as there was in Joshua's division forecited Thus expressed Ezeck 48.8 to 15. And by the border of Judah from the East side unto the West side shall be the offering which they shall offer of 25000. reeds in breadth and in length as one of the other parts from the East side unto the West side and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it The oblation ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of 25000. in length and 10000 in breadth And for them even for the Priests shall be this holy Oblation toward the North 25000. in length and toward the West 10000. in breadth and toward the East 10000 in breadth and toward the South 25000 in length and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof It shall be for the Priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadock which have kept my charge which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray after Jeroboam and his calves as the Levites went astray And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites And over against the border of the Priests the Levites shall have 25000. in length and 10000. in breadth all the length shall be 25000 and the breadth 10000. reeds And they shall not sell of it neither exchange nor alienate the first fruits of the land for it is holy unto
A GOSPEL PLEA Interwoven with a RATIONAL and LEGAL FOR THE LAWFULNESS CONTINUANCE Of the Antient Setled MAINTENANCE and TENTHS Of the Ministers of the Gospel IN TWO PARTS PROVING That there is a Just Competent Comfortable Maintenance due to all Lawfull painfull Preachers Ministers of the Gospel by Divine Right Institution express Texts Precepts of the Gospel That Glebes Tithes are such a Maintenance due to Ministers by Divine Right Law Gospel That if substracted or detained they may lawfully be inforced by Coercive Laws and Penalties That Tithes are no real Burden nor grievance to the people The abolishing them no ease or benefit to Farmers Husbandmen or poor people but a Prejudice and Loss That the present opposition against Tithes proceeds not from any real grounds of Conscience but base Covetousnesse Carnal policy hatred to and a Jesuitical Anabaptistical design to subvert ruine our Ministers Church Religion With a Satisfactory Answer to all Cavils and Material Objections to the contrary By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Swainswick Esquire a Bencher of Lincolns Inne Mal. 3.8 9. Will a man rob God Yet ye have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tithes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Mat. 22.21 Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are his AUG serm 219. Si tu illam Decimam non dederis dabis impio Militi quod non vis dare Deo Sacerdoti Hoc tollit Fiscus quod non accepit Christus London Printed by T. Childe and L. Parry for Edward Thomas and are to be sold at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain 1660. To my most High Mighty Great Dreadfull Omnipotent Omnipresent Omniscient Righteous True Faithfull All-gracious All-sufficient Everliving Everlasting Immutable Covenant-keeping LORD GOD the God of my Life Health Strength Mercy Preservation Consolation Supportation Salvation Deliverance Praise O God THE SAVIOUR of Israel of England too antiently stiled Regnum Dei Gods Kingdom Thou art God alone and there is none else Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee In thee alone I live move and have my being Thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever My whole Spirit Soul Body Parts Endowments Natural Spiritual are only of thee through thee O sanctifie them wholly for and only to thee to whom alone I desire intirely and eternally to devote them as due to none but thee and that by right of Creation Redemption Resignation Preservation and that extraordinary Tribute of gratitude I stand most deeply engaged to render to thy most gracious Majesty for those many and manifold WONDERS of Preservation Supportation Concomitation Protection Consolation Absolution Vindication and Restauration thou hast of thy free Grace most miraculously extended to me the mâ—anest and unworthyest of all thy servants in under from all my former and late injurious illegal Sufferings Oppressions Imprisonments inhumane close Restraints Exiles in TEN SEVERAL PRISONS CASTLES some of them at remotest distance from all Acquaintance Kindred Friends and thy publick Ordinances under some Rude Barbarous armed Gardians and Men of blood of purpose to destroy me where thou wast present with me as with Daniel in the Lyons den Paul in the Lyons mouth the three Children in the midst of the fiery Furnace Jonah in the Whales belly to secure comfort and supply me for about ELEVEN YEARS SPACE through the malice and cruelty of mercilesse men Yet blessed be thy holy name for no other cause or crime thy poor servants conscience is guilty of his last close Imprisonments in three several Castles being without the least Examination Hearing Accusation Charge of any particular offence against him or yet declared to him but only for his sincere cordial desire to discharge his bounden duty to glorifie thee in his generation by apposing the dangerous wrath-provoking Errors and corruptions of the age in which he liveth by contending earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints according to thy Commands and for the setled fundamental Laws Liberties Rights Government of his distracted Native Countrie against all secret Underminers open Oppugners or Subverters of them to the uttermost of his Ability By a consciencious inviolable observation of all those solemn sacred Oaths Protestations Covenants and Obligations prescribed by those lawfull higher Powers thou commandedst him to submit to under pain of DAMNATION wherewith he hath frequently bound his soul not so much to men as to thee who art a most Faithfull Promise-Oath-Covenant-keeping God especially of those Oathes and Covenants wherewith thou vouchsafest to oblige thy self even to meer dust and ashes both IMMUTABLE and INVIOLABLE never violating nor repenting of them in the least degree and obliging men both by thine own example and Precepts to do the like in all their publick or private Oathes Vowes Covenants to thee or men under pain of temporal wrath here and eternal exclusion from thy holy Hill And for not daring to confederate or comply against his Oathes Covenants manifold publick Engagements Conscience Judgement and thy sacred Inhibitions WITH THOSE WHO ARE GIVEN TO CHANGE many of whose Calamities and Ruines are sodainly risen and fallen upon them by thy Divine justice even from those they least suspected and most relyed on for Protection for the manifold changes they presumed to make against their Oaths Vows Trusts Protestations Covenants and unrighteous oppressing of their dearest Christian Friends Brethren and thy suffering Servant among others Now all Glory Honour Power Salvation and Praise be for ever rendred by me and all thy glorious Saints and Angles in heaven and earth because true and righteous are thy Judgements and because the deliverance of me thy oppressed Servant without any wound to his Conscience dishonour to thy name or scandal to thy People is exceeding Gracious and Glorious Now know I again and again that the Lord loveth his anointed that he hath heard him and others praying for him from his holy Heaven WITH THE SAVING STRENGTH OF HIS RIGHT HAND Some of his self-exalting Oppressors trusted in Chariots and some in Horses but he remembred the Lord his God they are brought down and fallen but he is risen and stands upright Who therefore ever will rejoyce greatly in THY SALVATION and in the Name of his God will set up his Banners For thou hast broken the gates of Brasse and cut the bars of Iron in sunder Thou hast sent thy holy Angel and knocked off the Chains from my long-fettered hands and made the long-barred Iron Castle Gates wherein I was close shut up to open of their own accord without any enforced long-expected Petition from me Thou hast rescued me from more then 4. Quaternions of Souldiers who most strictly garded me day and night as they did thy imprisoned Apostle Peter and more narrowly than any formerly under the Prelates greatest Tyranny and delivered him
discourses against Tithes as men quite confounded and I hope it will have the self-same effect in all others when they have well advised on it That they may have no Evasion from the dint thereof I shall answer all Cavils I know of to elude it The 1. Evasion is this That this Precedent of Abraham in giving the tenth of the spoyls of Warr is singular and voluntary not obliging other Souldiers to doe the like or to devote any of their spoyls to God and his service To this I answer 1. That this practice and Precedent of Abraham so transcendently eminent for his faith in the old and new Testament in both which it is recorded was undoubtedly written for our imitation and instruction to do the like as may be evidenced from Job 8.39 1 Cor. 10.11 Rom. 15.4 2 Thess 3.7 9. Heb. 13.7 1 Thess 2.14 the rather because the Apostle Heb. 6.12 commands us To be followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises and then presently after instanceth in Abraham and fals upon his practice of paying Tithes of the spoyl to Melchisedec Therefore all Christian Generals Officers Souldiers must follow him in paying Tithes of all their spoyls as well as in faith and patience his Precedent having been the original impulsive ground of all Tithes vowed or paid to Gods Priests or Ministers ever since and of Gods subsequent commands to Abrahams posterity to pay Tithes to the Priests and Levites under the Law as the Apostle insinuates Heb. 7.4 5 6 8. compared together and of all Laws Canons since enacted by Christian Kings and Councils for due payment of Tithes to Ministers of the Gospel in Christian Realms and Republicks 2. I answer That this practice of his was frequently pursued by Generals Officers and Souldiers in succeeding ages of which we have very memorable Precedents in Scripture wherewith I have shamed and confounded Souldiers in discourses with them about Tithes It is specially recorded Num. 31. that when the 12000. Officers and Souldiers of the Israelites under the conduct of Phinehas returned from the slaughter of the Midianites with an extraordinary great booty of all sorts God gave a special charge to levy a Tribute unto the Lord of the men of Warr that went out to Battel and to give it to Eleazar the Priest for an heave-offering of the Lord which kind of offerings was Aarons and his Sonnes for ever from the children of Israel as a due wages for their service Exod. 29.27 28. Levit. 7.32 33 34. Numb 18.24 27 29. Deut. 12.11 and is coupled with Tithes as being of the same Nature in the two last of these Scriptures which tribute was accordingly levyed And because the prey was first equally divided between them who took the Warr upon them and went out to Battel and between all the Congregation which had the other moity of it God out of the Souldiers moity the prey being very great reserved onely one of five hundred out of the Captives Beeves Asses and Sheep for the Priests which were but few and one of every fifty for the Levites of the peoples moity the Priests share amounting to 675. Sheep 78. Oxen 64. Asses 32. Captives and the Levites share to tenne times so many After which tribute levyed v. 48 49. the Officers which were over thousands of the Host the Captaines of Thousands and Captaines of Hundreds brought an oblation to the Lord what every man had gotten of Iewels of Gold Chaines and Bracelets Kings Ear-Rings and Tablets to make an atonement for their souls before the Lord amounting to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels every shekel weighing half an ounce Which Eleazer the Priest took of the Captains of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tabernacle of the Congregation for a Memorial of the children of Israel before the Lord Numb 31.48 to the end Here were self-denying saint-like Officers Colonels and Captains indeed after all the former deductions and tributes out of their spoyl to bring to the Priest and offer up to God all their Jewels of Gold Chains Bracelets Rings Ear-Rings Tablets and richest plunder they had gotten in the Warrs for the maintenance of his worship when our Officers Colonels Captains Souldiers shall do the like and pay a tribute of the best of their spoyls to our Ministers as these by Gods command did to the Priests and Levites not purchasing Church-Lands and Revenues with them devoted to the augmentation of our Ministers small Stipends we shall cry them up for self-denying Saints and Souldiers indeed and say they are no self-seekers If this Scripture Precedent be not enough behold a whole cloud of Precedents imitating them and faithfull Abraham recorded united in one memorable Text seldome read or taken notice of 1 Chron. 26.26 27 28. Which Shelomith and his Brethren were over all the Treasures of the dedicated things which David the King and the chief Fathers the Captains over Thousands and Hundreds and the Captains of the Host had dedicated out of the Spoyls won in Battels did they dedicate to maintain the House of the Lord mark and imitate it O ye Army-Officers Captains Souldiers And all that SAMUEL the seer and SAUL the Son of Kish and ABNER the Son of Ner and JOAB the Son of Zerviah had dedicated was under the hand of Shelomith and his Brethren Here we have examples of all sorts and sizes for our Army-Officers and Souldiers imitation 1. We have David a victorious Warrier General King and man of God after Gods own heart dedicating the Treasures Spoyls he took from his enemies in Battels to the House and service of God thus more specially recorded for his honour and others practice 2 Sam. 8.11 12. And Tol sent Joram his Son to King David to salute him and to blesse him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him and brought with him vessels of Gold and vessels of Silver and vessels of Brasse which also King David did dedicate to the Lord with the Silver and Gold that he had dedicate of all Nations which he subdued Of Syria and of Moab and of the children of Ammon and of the Philistines and of Amalek and OF THE SPOYLS OF HADADEZER Son of Rehob King of Zobah Recorded again in 1 Chron. 18.2 to 12. with this addition And David took the shields of gold which were on the Servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem Likewise from Tibhath and from Chun Cities of Hadadezer brought David very much brass wherewith Solomon made the Brazen sea and the pillars of the vessels of Brasse What the value of the spoyls which he dedicated to God and his service amounted to himself records 1 Chron 22.14 Now behold in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand Talents of Silver and of Brasse and Iron in aboundance without weight Besides what he dedicated out of his own proper estate
brought away the Hallowed things out of mine House and also have given them unto the Levite c. According to all thy Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away ought thereof for my Vnclean Vse nor given ought thereof for the dead but I have hearkened to the Voice of the Lord my God And have done according to all that thou hast commmanded me Look down from thy Holy Habitation from Heaven And bless thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us a Land that floweth with milk and honey Such a conscientious true payment of Tithes as this according to all Gods Commandements without the least Substraction or embezlement emboldens enables every particular man to make such a Prayer to God as this not only for himself but for the whole Land brings a blessing upon himself and all the Realm yea makes it a Land flowing with milk and honey and abundance of all rich blessings Besides we read in 2 Chr. 31.1 to 15. That when godly King Hezekiah had destroyed Idolatry and appointed the Courses of the Priests and Levites after their Courses every man according to his service he brought â—urings and Peace-offerings to minister and to give thanks and to praise in all the Gates of the Tents of the Lord He appointed also the Kings portion of his Substance for the burnt-offerings for the morning and evening for the Sabbaths the new Moons and set Feasts moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem To give the Portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. And as soon as the Commandement came abroad the children of Israel brought in abundance the first Fruits of Corn Wine Oyl and Honey and of all the encrease of the field and the Tithes of all things brought they in abundance And concerning the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the Cities of Judah They also brought in the Tithes of Oxen and Sheep and the Tithe of holy things which were dedicated unto the Lord their God and laid them by heaps In the third moneth they began to lay the foundation of the heaps and finished them in the seventh moneth and when Hezekiah and the Princes came and saw the heaps they blessed the Lord and his People Israel Then Hezekiah questioned with the Priests and Levites concerning the heaps And Azariah the chief Priest of the House of Zadok answered him and said Since the People began to bring the Offerings into the house of the Lord We have had enough to eat and have left Plenty But did the people grow poor thereby no but much richer than before for the Lord hath blessed his people and that which is left is this great store Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare Chambers or store-houses in the house of the Lord and they prepared them and brought in the Offerings and the Tithes and the dedicate things faithfully over which Cononiah the Levite was Ruler How different was this practice of all the people and godly Saints in those daies in a chearfull bringing in their Tithes and Oblations to the Priests and Levites in abundance for their encouragement which caused King Hezekiah his Princes the Priests Levites and God himself to bless them from the sacrilegious practice of Tith-detaining Hypocritical Saints Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries and Christians in our daies who shall never receive such a blessing as this from God or good men but their curses If these Texts and Presidents will not move such hard-hearted men let them consider both this â—â—â—cept and promise of God Prov. 3.9 10. Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the first fruits of thine encrease So shall thy Barns be filled with Plenty and thy Press shall burst out with new Wine And Mal 3.7 10 11 12. Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts but ye said Wherein shall we return Bring ye all the Tithes into the Store-house that there 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 powr you out a blessing that there 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 her time in the field saith the Lord of Hosts And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delight some land saith the Lord of Hosts What Christians heart though never so covetous and worldly should not these sacred promises of God the last of them recorded in the last of all the Books and Prophets in the Old Testament they being not meerly Levitical and Judaical but of eternal verity use and evangelical too excite and engage most cheerfully to pay and bring in all their Tithes and Dues to Gods Ministers now as well as to the Priests and Levites heretofore Christ himself having made like parallel promises of blessings and rewards for relieving and maintaining his Ministers in the Gospel Mat. 10.40 41 42. Mark 9.41 Phil. 4.18 19 9. That the due payment of Tithes to Gods Priests and Levites was a great encouragement to them in the law of the Lord and in the diligent execution of their duties 2 Chron. 31.3 4 5 10. And on the contrary The with-holding of them from them a great discouragement necessitating them to desert their duties and functions witnesse that memorable Text Neh. 13.10 11 12. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them mark the consequence For the Levites and the Singers that did the work were fled every one to his field Then contended I with the Rulers and said Why is the house of God forsaken and I gathered them together and set them in their place Then brought all Judah the Tithes of the Corn and the new Wine and the Oyl unto their treasuries And I made treasurers over the treasuries Shelemiah the Priest and Zadock the Scribe and of the Levites Pedajah c. for they were counted faithfull and their office was to distribute unto their Brethren Which reason still continuing under the Gospel in relation to the Ministers and Preachers thereof Heb 13.16 17. Phil. 4.10 to 21. is a strong argument to engage all true Christians desiring the propagation of the Gospel and a painfull able Ministry duly to pay their tithes and portions to them 10. That it was the bounden duty care of Religious Kings and Governours amongst Gods own people when the people were backwards to pay and bring their Tithes and duties to the Priests and Levites to command and enforce them to do it by special Covenants and Oaths sealed subscribed by the Princes and people Neh. 9.38 cap. 10.1 to the end and likewise by positive Ordinances
Injunctions and to be earnest and zealous in it as the two last recited examples of King Hezekiah and Nehemiah evidence And this was so far from being an unjust oppressive action and grievance to the people as some now term it that it is recorded by God himself for their Honour and others imitation yea so well-pleasing unto God that Nehemiah clozeth up the history of his acting in this kind with this memorable addresse and prayer to God himself Neh. 13.14 Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out the good déeds that I have done for the House of my God and for the Offices thereof And will not God remember their ill Deeds in wrath and vengeance who shall do the contrary to what he and King Hezekiah acted in robbing God and his Ministers of their Tithes and setled dues St. Hierom with others affirm That the Israelites had four sorts of Tithes 1. That which the people paid to the Levites being the Tenth of every thing that was food for man not so much as Herbs excepted and whatever received increase from the earth 2. That which the Levites paid to the Priests being the full tenth of their Tithes 3. That which they received for expences in their solemn feasts when they went to the Tabernacle or Temple whereof the Owner and his family were to eat in those Feasts as well as the Levite Deut. 4.26 27. ch 12.17 18. 4. The third years Tithes which were then laid up for the Levites and likewise for the stranger the fatherlesse the poor widdow within their gates in the Husbandmans own Barns and Store-houses and not then carried to Jerusalem as the other Tithes were Deut. 14.28 29. ch 26.12 13. Their first and second Tithes every year as they affirm amounted to 19. in the hundred So as the Husbandmans clear Lay-Chattel the Tithes first deducted came but to eighty one bushels of Corn or eighty one Pipes or Tuns of Wine or Oyl in every hundred which considering the costs the Husbandman was at in threshing and fanning the Corn barrelling up the Wine and Oyl and carrying them to Jerusalem and the Priests treasuries at their own costs amounted to double the Tithes we pay now and more besides the first fruits paid out of them in kind before the Tithes their Free-will Offerings Sacrifices Oblations and other charges of Gods worship prescribed by the Levitical law together with half a shekel every poll for the service of the Tabernacle Exod. 30.12 13 14. yet the Israelites were obliged by God to pay all these Tithes which all the godly amongst them chearfully did without murmuring notwithstanding every seventh year amongst them was Sabbatical and free from tillage and the voluntary fruits of the earth then growing were to be for the poor and the beasts of the field were to eat the rest Exod. 23.10 11. Lev. 25.3 c. What would our Anabaptists Quakers and tithe-oppugners have said and done had they been born Israelites under the law and clogged with so many Tithes and expences who now grumble at and refuse to pay half so much Tithes as they constantly did though they pay no first-fruits Sacrifices and other costly Oblations of several sorts to God as the Israelites did besides all these Tithes I fear their covetous Sacrilegious hard hearts would have induced them to cast off not only Gods Priests and Levites as now many of them do our Ministers as superfluous creatures but even all Gods chargeable Ordinances and Levitical forms of worship as intollerable grievances oppressions yea renounced God himself to save their purses and turned Atheists out-right Let them therefore reform this their Sacrilegious tithe-detaining practices and opinions lest whiles they pretend to avoid Judaism they prove worse than the very Jews themselves yea worse than the very Jewish Pharisees the worst of Jewes who paid tithes even of Rue Annis Mint Cumin all other Herbs and of all they had Mat. 23.23 Luke 11.42 cap. 18.12 Whose righteousness all Christians righteousness must exceed by Christs own verdict else they shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven Mat. 5.20 Nay worse than the very Idolatrous Jewes under Jeroboam and his successors who paid their Tithes duely even to the base Idolatrous Priests at Bethel and Gilgal who waited on the Service of the golden Calves and brought all the Oblations to their very Calves which God reserved to his Priests Levites and himself as is evident by Amos 4.4 5. Come ye to Bethel and transgresse at Gilgal multiply transgression and bring your Sacrifices every morning and your Tithes after thrée years and offer a Sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven and proclaim and publish the free offerings for this liketh you O ye children of Israel saith the Lord of Hosts Let those Pharisees idolatrous Jews and Israelites practice then shame all our Anabaptists Quakers Soldiers Sectaries and other Tith-oppugners now lest they rise up in judgement and condemn them at the last day These forementioned Cities Suburbs Houses Glebes Tithes thus setled on the Priests and Levites for their Habitation maintenance and reward of their Ministerial Function had nothing properly typical or Ceremonial in them and being assigned to them by God himself only for their necessary Habitation and competent Livelihood may and ought to be continued and imitated in a fitting proportion under the Gospel for the Habitation maintenance livelihood reward of the Preachers of the Gospel who are to live by the Gospel as well as they did by the Temple and Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. 3. There was another supplemental maintenance besides these Glebes and Tithes prescribed by God in the Levitical law for the Priests which was properly Ceremonial Levitical and quite abolished with that Priesthood by Christs death and that was the Priests share out of every meat-Offering made of fine flower oyl and frankincense unto the Lord by the people a small part whereof the Priests were to offer up to God upon the Altar and the remnant which was left was to be Aarons and his sons with the breast and right shoulder of every Peace-Offering offered by the people called the Wave-breast and the heave-shoulder given by God to the Priest who offered the bloud and fat of the Peace-offering at the Altar together with the skin of every burnt-offering Levit 2.3 10. chap. 7.6 to 11. and 28 to 38. Exod 29.26 27 28. chap. 9.21 Numb 6.19 20. And from them that offered a Sacrifice whether it were Ox or Sheep this was the Priests DVE likewise from the people they were to give unto the Priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw by Gods special appointment Deut 18.3 Ezech 44.29 30. which Fee Eli the high Priests Sons exceeding and exacting more than was due by violence it exceedingly provoked God made men to abhor the Sacrifice of the Lord and proved the ruine of Eli and his Family 1 Sam 2.12 to the end These Dues and Fees of the Priests serving onely at the Altar
from the Secular Priests to themselves That the Command of Tithes was not Moral but Ceremonial and not to be performed by constraint of Conscience to the Minister and that out of whatsoever Lands at least was given to any of the four Orders of Fréers Mendicants as now to Anabaptists and Quakers their disciples no Tithe was in conscience to be deduced for the Minister as he proves out of the Council of Vienna held An. 1340. Pope Innocent the 4th and Richard Archbishop of Armagh in Defens Curatorum Alex. l. 4. Consil 60. and William Râ—ssel a Franciscan Freer his Doctrine condemned in the Convocation of the Clergie Anno 5 H. 6. as Haeretical and publikely recanted by him at Pauls Cross as such That Tithes especially personal fall not under divine precept at least that they should be paid to the Parochial Curate as a due unto him of right unlesse there were a Custom to the contrary but that every one might lawfully give them to pious uses at their pleasure Whereupon these Nâ—w Masters and Preaching Freers preaching and teaching thus against the Old and Nâ—w Testament were enjoyned by several Councils and Synods in their Sermons to exhort inform and instruct the people without any fraud to pay their Tithes faithfully to their Ministers as DVE by the Lawes of God and the Church under pain of being deprived of the power of absolving the people from their sins Therefore John Cannes with his confederate Anabaptists and Quakers new Doctrines Invectives Petitions against our Ministers Tithes derived from these old and new Franciscan Mendicant Freers now swarming amongst them is far more truly really Antichristian than our Ministers and their Tithes of which more in its due place 11. That God in the Levitical and Judicial Law prescribed Laws for Warr and Souldiers in the Wars Deut. 20. throughout and amongst others v. 2 3 4. It shall be when ye come nigh unto the Battel that the Priest shall approach and speak unto the people and shall say unto them for their encouragement Hear O Israel you approach this day unto battel against your enemies let not your hearts faint fear not and do not tremble neither be ye terrified because of them for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you against your Enemies to save you After which v. 8. c. The Officers are commanded to make Proclamation that every man who was fearfull and faint-hearted should go and return to his house lest they should discourage their brethren that they should proclaim Peace to every City they came nigh before they besieged or stormed it and if they won it by force the Souldiers should take the spoil thereof unto themselves and eat the spoil of their enemies which the Lord their God had given them And by another Levitical Law the Priests were thus enjoyned by God to pray for and bless his people Num 6.23 24. c. On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying to them the Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee Peace and they shall put my name upon the Children of Israel and I will bless them If then it be neither Jewish nor Antichristian nor superstitious nor unlawfull for Ministers of the Gospel to encourage Christian Souldiers going to battel in the self same manner and form or to bless them and the people in these very Levitical words as Iohn Canne and all Anabaptistical Independent Chaplains of the Army and Mr. Peters especially will grant who have frequently used the self same or like encouragements and exhortations to the Army receiving good constant pay for their pains And if it be neither Jewish nor Antichristian nor unchristian for our Saintlike Officers and Soldiers under the Gospel to make like Proclamation to cowardly persons or to proclaim peace to Cities and garisons ere they besiege or storm them and if obstinat and won by force to take the Spoil and Plunder of such Cities Enemies to themselves and eat therof which I am certain all our Officers Soldiers and their Anabaptistical Tithe-oppugning Chaplains will grant and subscribe to though thus prescribed by the Levitical law abolished as they say by Jesus Christ Then questionless our Ministers of the Gospel may still receive and enjoy their Glebes Tithes Oblations by like reason without the least guilt or reproach of Judaism or Antichristianism though prescribed to the Levitical Priests and Levites by the Levitical law else John Canne and others of his fraternity professing themselves the only Ministers of the Gospel and rejecting all others as Antichristian must give over their Chaplains places in the Army Navy Garrisons and no more encourage nor accompany any Soldiers in the wars or bless the people as aforesaid because it was a part of the Levitical Priests Office who were also to blow the Trumpets in the wars Num. 6.1 to 10. Josh 6.4 c. prescribed by an abolished Levitical law 12. That all Israelites Jews both Priests and people were by the Levitical law frequently commanded inviolably to perform keep pay execute the solemn Oaths Vows Covenants they made to God or men and no wayes to infringe them or prevaricate in them Levit. 19.12 Num. 21.2 3. cap. 30.2 to 16. Deut. 12.11 cap. 23.21 22 23. Josh 2.11 12 13. cap. 6.22 to 26. cap. 9.15 to the end And among other things we finde their Tithes vowed to God by Jacob Gen. 28.20 21 22. coupled with their Vows as things devoted by them to God by Vow as well as reserved by Law Deut. 12.11 Yea all the Jews were obliged by a Solemn Covenant to bring pay their first fruits and Tithes to God his Priests and Lâ—vites Nen. 10.31 to 39. Will or dare John Canne then or any other Tithe-leniers averr that it is both Jâ—wish Antichristian unlawfull for Ministers and Christians under the Gospel inâ—iolably to observe and perform all those just lawfull Oathes Vows Covenants they have solemnly made to God and men with hands listed up to heaven as some of their persidious horrid violations of them without blush or check of late seems to proclaim before God and all the world and to pay those Tithes Dues to our Ministers which our Ancestors and we by Solemn Vows and Covenants too have dedicated unto God and his Ministers and never intended by our Covenant to abolish or diminish in the least degree as Canne perjuriously and absurdly asserts but to establish and perpetuate as the late Ordinances for Tithes and Aâ—gmentations made by the very Prescribers and Subscribers of the late Solemn League and Covenant which it seems John Canne never took though he presseth it on others as his words Many have sworn who I hope will now observe it import both at the time and since the making taking of the Solemn League and Covenant with the Assemblies Exhortation for the better taking
Levitical Priests themselves especially after their abolition as he was a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck to whom Abraham himself and the Levites then in his loins paid Tithes of all Heb. 7.1 to 15. of which at large before Therefore he had a just Right to receive Tithes from them both before the institution and after the abolition of the Levitical Priesthood which he might have lawfully claimed exercised and his Apostles likewise in his Right though they did it not We read that Christ had a just Right Title by Inheritance and lineal descent from his Father King David to the Temporal Crown and Kingdome of Judah being therefore said by the Wise men Mat. 2.2 to be born King of the Iews an unanswerable Argument for the lawfullnesse Excellency of Hereditary Titles to Crowns and Kingdomes before that of Election only wherewith I frequently silenced vapouring Souldiers against Hereditary Kingship being the very Title of Christ himself both to his Spiritual and Temporal Kingdome and that which God instituted amongst his Church people as the best surest of all other taken up by most Heathen Nations Now though Christ neither claimed nor exercised this his Temporal Right but avoided it when the people would have made him King by force John 6.15 who yet after cryed him up for the King of Israel John 12.13 15. which even Pilate himself acknowledged when he said unto the Jews Behold your King demanded of them Shall I crucifie your King and wrote fixed this Title on his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews John 19.14 15 19. will or can John Canne or any other of his antimonarchical confederates hence justly infer that it was unlawfull for Christ himself Right Heir by Descent to his Hereditary Temporal Kingdome kept and thrust out thereof by usurping Herod who murthered all the infants in Bethlehem and the Coasts thereof that were two years old and under and would have murthered our Saviour himself to secure his own usurped Power Mat. 2.13 16. such is the bloody cruelty Jealousie of Usurpers to have claimed or exercised this his just Hereditary Right to the Crown or unlawfull for the people to have thrust out this bloody Intruder Herod by force from his usurped Authority and made Christ King as they intended or because Christ did then voluntarily forbear relinquish his Temporal Right to Herod will it thence necessarily follow that it is therefore unlawfull for any other Hereditary Christian King or Right Heir to a Crown kept from or thrust out of his Throne Kingdome by armed violence against the generality of his peoples desires by any aspiring usurping Herod to lay claim to his Crown Kingdome or for the faithfull natural born Subjects according to their duty Oathes Allegiance to endeavour by all lawfull means and open force to expell dethrone such Herods and Crown set up their lawfull Soveraign on the Throne of the Kingdome Doubtlesse they cannot be so absurdly stupid to affirm it seeing Jehoiadah the high Priest the Captains of Hundreds Levites Souldiers and people too thrust out and slew with the sword Athaliah the bloody Usurper of the Kingdome and Throne of Judah in the second year of her Usurpation crowned Joash the Kings Son King as the Lord had said of the Sons of David and set him upon the Throne of the Kingdome whereupon all the people of the Land rejoyced and the City was quiet as is recorded at large to their eternal Honour by God himself and for others imitation in the like case 2 Chron. 23. and 2 Kings 11. The rather because all other men by our Laws may justly lay claim to and repossesse themselves of such Lands Houses Goods as others forcibly detain or take from them against all Law Right notwithstanding Christs Non-claim to his Rightful Crown Therefore by the self-same Reason our Ministers of the Gospel now may lawfully challenge and take Tithes from the people though Christ and his Apostles did it not albeit they had a just Right and Title to them which they might have exercised had they pleased without Sin or Judaism as our Ministers do now as Paul resolves in 1 Cor. 9.4 5 6 15 18. To clear which Right from Judaism and all other cavils beyond all contradiction I shall cite only two Prophecies relating joyntly to Christs Kingdom and Ministers under the Gospel The first is Jer. 33.15 to the end In those dayes and at that time will I cause the Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto David and he shall execute Righteousnesse and Judgement in the Land In those days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness For thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel Neither shall the Priests the Levites want a man before me to offer Burnt-Offerings and to kindle Meat-Offerings and to do Sacrifices continually Thus saith the Lord if you can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night so that there should not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken with David my Servant that he should not have a Son to reign upon his Throne therefore our Covenants Oaths to our Kings their Heirs and Successors should be as stable as inviolable and strictly observed as Gods to David and his Posterity Ps 89.3 4 34. Ps 132.11 12. Hebr. 6.17 18. Ps 15.4 Eccles 8.2 Gal. 3.15 17. and with the Levites the Priests my Ministers As the host of heaven cannot be numbred neither the sand of the Sea measured so will I multiply the seed of David my Servant and the Levites that minister unto me c. The second is Isa 66.18 to 20. I will gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my Glory and I will set a Sign among them and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations and to Tarshish c. and to the Isles afar off whereof England is chief and principally intended And they shall bring all your Brethren for an Offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon Horses and in Chariots and in Litters and upon Mules and upon swift Beasts to my holy Mountain in Jerusalem saith the Lord as the Children of Israel bring an Offering in a clean Vessel unto the House of the Lord And I will also take of them for Priests and for Levits saith the Lord From which Texts I shall observe 1. That as Christs Title to his everlasting Spiritual Kingdom under the Gospel over all the converted Gentiles as well as Jews is expresly set forth to be neither elective nor by conquest but by DESCENT HEIRSHIP and lineal succession after the flesh from King David Whence he is stiled Heir of all things Heb. 1.12 And the Lord shall give unto him THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID and HE shall reign over the House of
Jacob for ever c. Luke 1.32 33. Ezech 27.22 24. Jer 23.4 5. c. 33.14 15 16. even as all the regenerated Sons of God are by their Right of Son-ship and new-birth in like sort intituled to the Kingdom of heaven whence they are stiled HEIRS and INHERITORS OF THE KINGDOM Jam 2.5 Gal 3.27 Rom 8.17 Titus 3.17 Heb 1.14 chap 6.17 1 Pet 3.7 Mat 25.34 and this Kingdom THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS Col 1.12 Ephes 1.11 14 18. 1 Pet 1.4 Acts 20.32 an unanswerable argument that Heirship and Birthright is the Best Surest Justest Honorablest Lawfullest Title of all other to Crowns Kingdoms and Possessions on earth being the very Title of Christ himself to his everlasting Kingship Kingdom and of the Saints in and by Christ to the Kingdom of heaven it self and Crown of Glory so the Seat Throne of this his Kingdom is said to be in Zion and Jerusalem most emphatically expressed Isa 24.23 The Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously A type of the Church of God under the Gospel first planted in Jerusalem and propagated from thence throughout the world according to the Prophecies Isa 2.3 Micah 4.2 Whence the Church under the Gospel is called the New Jerusalem c. Rev. 3.12 chap. 21.2 10. Gal 4.26 Heb 12.22 2. That the Ministers of and under the Gospel are expresly stiled in these Prophecies Priests and Levites several times 3. That their Office under the Gospel in a mystical sense is to offer Burnt-offerings to bake or kindle Meat-Offerings to do Sacrifices continually and to Minister unto God 4. That these Priests and Levites should be taken out of the converted Gentiles and Isles afar off whereof our Isle was chief 5. That these Priests and Levites should never fail cease nor want a man under the Gospel and that God would multiply them as the Host of Heaven as well as the Seed of David 6. That they should convert and bring their brethren for an offering out of all Nations and the Isles afar off to Gods Mountain and House in Jerusalem as the children of Israel used to bring their offerings thither Since therefore the Ministers of the Gospel in these prophecies are thus expresly stiled Priests and Levites and are to offer Burnt-Offerings Meat-Offerings Sacrifices and Oblations to God in his Mountain and House at Jerusalem c. under David their King in an Evangelical sence without any Judaism or denying of Christs coming in the flesh they may undoubtedly in the self-same sence and Right receive all Glebes Tithes Oblations and other dues from Christians and converted Jews under the Gospel which the Priests and Levites did at Jerusalem under King David and his Successors seeing they succeed them in their Office in an Evangelical sence according to these prophecies which as strongly confirm the Maintenance of their Priestly Function and their Tithes as their Evangelical Priesthood 7. Although Christ his Apostles and the Ministers of the Gospel in the Primitive times whiles the Church was in the Wilderness under grievous bloudy Antichristian Kings Magistrates Persecutors by reason of the present persecution neither did nor could receive Tithes and Glebes for their Maintenances from the persecuted Christians and therefore were necessitated to live by private Contribution and extraordinary wages in that case of extremity yet it no way follows that therefore all Ministers of the Gospel afterwards shall and must do so in setled Kingdoms States Nations converted to the faith where Kings Magistrates People do all generally embrace professe the Gospel where Churches are established and Ministers Glebes Tithes are or may be confirmed by setled Laws which I shall irrefragably prove by these instances 1 The Priests and Levites under the Law had no Glebes nor Tithes at all whiles the Israelites wandred 40 years together in the wildernesse though they had then a Law and right to receive them Will the Objectors thence inferre Therefore they ought to have no Tithes nor Glebes when the Israelites were possessors of and setled in the land of Canaan in peace when they enjoyed both without dispute 2. The Priests and Levites had no Tithes nor Glebes in the Realm of Israel under the Vsurper Jeroboam and his Idolatrous successors who deprived them of their possessions Cities Suburbs Tithes and Priests Office too 2 Chron. 11.13 14. c. 13.9 Therefore the Priests and Levites in the Kingdom of Iudah might not lawfully claim nor enjoy any Glebes or Tithes nor Ministers under the Gospel nor yet those in Israel under David and Solomon who were no Persecutors but Patrons of them 3. When both these Kingdoms with their Priests and Levites were carried away captives into Assyria and Babylon the Priests and Levites during the 70 years capivity enjoyed neither Glebes nor Tithes Will it thence follow Therefore they might lawfully enjoy neither after their restitution to their Country and execution of their Priestly Function and the re-edifying of the Temple as we read they did Neh 10.38 c. 12.44 c. 13.1 to 13. Whence the people were charged with robbing of God when they neglected to pay Tithes and Oblations to them Mal. 3.7 8 9 10. 4. Christ himself so soon as born was forced to fly out of his Country into Aegypt by bloudy Herod and to remain there till after his death Mat 2.13 14 15. After which he complained That Foxes had holes and Birds of the ayr nests yet he had not where to lay his head Mat 8.20 Luke 9.58 And at last he was apprehended mocked reviled crowned with thorns crucified by the malicious Iews and SOLDIERS who parted his Garments among them and cast Lots upon his Vesture The Evangelists closing up the Tragedy of his Passion with this perpetual brand upon the Domineering cruel soldiers These things therefore the Soldiers did Iohn 19.24 For which and for reporting a Lye to smother the truth of Christs Resurrection the High Priest Gave large money to the Soldiers Matt. 28.12 15. Will Canne therefore hence conclude Therefore our Soldiers now must force our Ministers to fly into Aegypt till Herods death leave them neither Rectory Personage house nor Vicarige nor yet so much as a Bed Bolster Tithe-Hay or Straw whereon to lay their heads then nail them to the Crosse peirce their sides with their spears-points revile deride them and at last part not only all their Glebes Tithes Goods but their very Garments and Gowns between them to make them like our Saviour Surely if they must and shall do so let them beware of another perpetual memento like the former These things therefore the Souldiers did So the Souldiers took the money and did as they were taught by Canne and Popish Priests and Jesuites 5. The Apostles who succeeded our Saviour in those dayes of persecution were thus handled by Pauls own relation 1 Cor. 4.9 c. We are made a spectacle unto the world unto Angles and to men we are fools for Christs sake we are weak
Silver and a wedge of Gold coveted took and hid them in the midst of his Tent which so much kindled the Anger of God against the Children of Israel for this his Trespass in these devoted things That they were presently smitten before their Enemies of Ai and fled before them Whereupon Joshua their General and chief Governour humbling himself before God and requiring the cause of this ill success God returned him this Answer Israel hath sinned and they also have transgressed my Covenant which I commanded them for they have taken of the devoted thing and have also stollen and dissembled also and they have also put it among their own stuff Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their Enemies but turned their backs before Enemies Because they were accursed neither will I go with you any more O Israel thou canst not stand before thine Enemies untill thou hast taken away the accursed devoted thing from among you Whereupon this Sacrilegious Robbery of Achan being discovered by Lot and his own Confession and hid stoln Plunder devoted to God taken forth of his Tent and powred out before the Lord in the presence of Joshua and all the Children of Israel Joshua passed this Judgement against him for his Sacrilege Why hast thou troubled Israel the Lord shall trouble thee this day and all Israel stoned him with Stones and they burned them with fire as a devoted Sacrifice to God after they had stoned him with stones And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day So the Lord turned from the fiercenesse of his Anger Wherefore the place is called the Valley of Achor that is Trouble to this day And when Hiel many hundred years after in Idolatrous Ahabs daies would needs seize upon the devoted Spoyl of Jericho and build it again for his own habitation he laid the Foundation thereof in his first-born Abiram and set up the Gates thereof in his youngest Son Segub that is God destroyed and cut off all his Posterity before the Gates were set up and the Building finished according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Joshua the Son of Nun as we read at large Josh 7. throughout 1 Kings 16.34 and Josh 6.16 I read of Ataxerxes that in imitation of Cambyses before him he caused some Judges betraying their Trusts like Tresylian of old and too many of late to be excoriated alive and their Skins to be hanged up round about the Tribunals that the other Judges sitting upon them might have an example hanging before their eyes what punishment the pravity of Iudges did demerit I desire all Souldiers Officers and Sacrilegious Anabaptists would hang up these Skins and Examples of Achan and Hiel before their eyes recorded in sacred Writ and then make this use and application to themselves of them If Achan for stealing away only a Babylonish Garment and a few Shekles of Silver and Gold of the very Spoyls of Iericho devoted to the service or Treasury of the House of the Lord brought so much wrath misery upon the whole Nation and Camps of Israel and such a fatal death and exemplary punishment upon himself and Hiel only for building upon the ruines of the Soyl of this devoted City drew down sudden Death and Destruction upon all his Sons and Posterity O what strange exemplary wrath vengeance and judgements shall we then draw upon the whole Nation Army our Souls Bodies and Posterities to their utter extirpation if instead of rendring unto God and his Ministers the Tenth of our warlike Spoyls belonging of right unto them we shall sacrilegiously rob them not only of these Tenthes and all other issuing out of our Lands and Estates but even of all their other Glebes Rectories Tithes Revenues demolish the very Churches Houses dedicated to Gods worship or turn them into Houses for us and our Posterities to inhabit and obstinately yea atheistically refuse to take warning by their and other sacrilegious Persons tragical examples 4ly Let those who will imitate Charles Martels President remember 1. his punishment Historians record That for this his Sacrilege he was smitten with a long and terrible Convulsion of all his Members whereof he died in great anguish that Eucherius Bishop of Orleans in a Vision SAW HIM DAMNED FOR IT and that upon search made in his Tomb by an Angels Admonition it was also confirmed for truth no relique of his Corps being found therein but only a dreadfull Serpent Apud Frances Carolus Martellus insignis vir fortitudinis exactis vitae sue diebus in Ecclesia beati Dionysii legitur esse Sepultus sed quia Patrimonia cum Decimis omnium fere Ecclesiarum Galliae pro stipendio commilitonum suorum mutilaverat miserabiliter à malignis Spiritibus de Sepulchro corporaliter avulsus usque in hodiernum diem nusquam comparuit as Matthew Westminster stories of him 2ly The censure passed against him for this Sacrilegious Robbery by the Marginal Authors and others especially by Agobardus Bishop of Lions An. 828. in his Book De Dispensatione Rei Ecclesiasticae contra Sacrilegos worthy the reading who thus complains p. 269. Nunc non solum possessiones Ecclesiasticae sed ipsae etiam Ecclesiae cum possessionibus venundantur c. Which he condemns as detestable Sacrilege execrable to God and men By Petrus Damianus Anno 1060. l. 1. Epist 11. where he gives this censure of his practice and others Inter omnia vero hic mala Illud excedit et Diabolicam fere modum videtur aequare nequittam Quia pradiis in Militem profligatis c. Moreover among all wicked Acts this exceedeth and seems almost to equal the very wickednesse of the Devil That all the Farms and Possessions of the Church being prodigally spent upon Souldiers insuper etiam et Decimae plebes adduntur in Beneficium Secularibus Moreover Tithes and people are likewise added and conferred on these Secular men for a reward which in his lib. 4. Epist 12. lib. 5. Epist 9. he stiles a great Sin Sacrilege and Prophanation of holy things concluding What is it to turn Tithes to the use of Souldiers and Secular men nisi mortiferum iis virus quo pereant exhibere but to give them deadly Poyson whereby they may perith Petrus Blesensis Arch-deacon of Bath Epist 82. Joannis de Belith De Divinorum Officiorum Explicatione c. 5. write much to the same effect making it a greater Robbery and Sacrilege to take away Ministers Tithes though it be by the Popes own Bulls than violently to take away and plunder Mens Horses as they are riding or carting in the High way and convert them to their proper use as Souldiers use to do 3ly Let them remember That Charles Martels immediate Successors so much detested both his practice and Sacrilege that by publick Edicts they decreed in these terms That the Tithes and Ecclesiastical Lands and Goods seised upon by prophane Persons so they stiled