Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	place_n	sabbath_n	10,594	5	9.6630	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85845	The case of ministers maintenance by tithes, (as in England,) plainly discussed in conscience and prudence. Humbly propounded to the consideration of those gentlemen of the committee, who are in consultation about it. / By John Gauden, D.D.	Gauden, John, 1605-1662.	1653 (1653)	Wing G344; Thomason E220_1; ESTC R3663	45,053	49

and most proper means where it is meet and proportionate to that end which God hath expresly ordained Which is that the Minister of the Gospel should live of the Gospel even so as the Minister of the Altar did of the Altar Herein although particular circumstances may differ under different administrations yet the main design and general intention is the same both as to the end competent maintenance and to the aptest means so far as they are in our power and opportunity 2. But it is urged if God required a Tenth under the Gospel why did he not in any place of the Gospel mention that part by name as of old he did Gods silence in the New Testament as to renewing a precise command for paying Tithes by name to the Ministers of the Gospel is no abrogating of them as to right and equity the not specifying or exacting of believers a Tenth was upon several grounds of divine wisdome which are evident 1. It was not necessary because the rule and measure of gratitude devotion and equitalble retributions to which the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 referr●s Christians under the Gospel as a continued binding ordinance of the Lord in this case is sufficiently set forth in the Old Testament both by the Religious bounty of the Holy Patriarcks as Abraham and Jacob expressed in this proportion of Tithes or Tenths before the Law And also by the express command of God afterward pitching upon this quantum as his and appointing it for the fittest medium which his wisdome and bounty thought good to set between the covetousness of Priests who might have exacted or expected more and the niggardliness of people who might have allowed less if left to their own arbitration choice free will men being naturally penurious to the true God and his word as having no love to or delight in his service and only prodigal to their own Idolatrous fancies as those which they most count and esteem Charets and Horses shall be dedicated to the Sun or the Queen of Heaven when a Lamb or Pigeon a little meal or cake is grudged as an offering to the true God and holy Temple The equity and analogy of Gods former will continues in force and sufficiently binds the conscience to obed●ence although a particular precept were not renewed especially where Christians are specially referred to that which is clearer in this point of Ministers maintenance by Tithes than for the Lords daies Sabbath or Rest 2. The indulgence of God foresaw and the Apostles tendernes considered That an exact or strict requiring or mentioning of the Tenths of all increase and profits to bee payed to the Ministers of the Gospel in all places and at all times might discourage Jews and Gentiles from the Gospel yea and many times prove very inconvenient to Christians who must expect persecution to whom it might have been a burthen and snare in their uncertainties distresses and poverty A burthen to pay alwaies a tenth of their profits hardly gotten and hardly preserved A snare also if they payed them not exactly Yet this Indulgence Silence Remission which in the primitive tenderness might bee permitted by the Lord is no abrogation of the duty or Law any more than the omission of circumcision for forty years in the wilderness was a vacating of that ordinance of God to the Jews or the not commanding expresly the Lords day to bee kept as a Sabbath is any argument against our sanctification of it which is only related in the New Testament as a primitive practice 3. By the Lords not mentioning Tithes in the very terme or qu●ntum somthing seems left in the Gospel to the conscience and ingenuity both of people and of Ministers These that they may in part remit in times of distress those rights as Paul did not exacting this proportion of Tenths which they might otherwise claime expect as due People also by so much Indulgence are invited to shew so much the more a liberal and a willing mind where God enables them either occasionally to return or constantly to settle even such a maintenance on their Ministers as comes neerest both to the equity of Gods will and the exemplarines of that proportion of Tithes which he anciently required as his own and which we do not find he hath in the Gospel remitted for then the Lord had left his Ministers of the Gospel to meer uncertainties and benevolence which was not even so as he ordeined for those of the Altar and indeed flatly contradicts the Apostles reddition Even so c. 4. The Divine wisdom saw that in some conditions of Christians living a Tenth of the earths yearly increase would not afford a competent or any convenient maintenance for Ministers as in Cities and populous Towns so in Castles Ships c. There some other way by rents of Houses or Trades increase must equivalently be raised And here although men now a daies would grudg to pay a tenth of Trades increase or their callings yet we read of old it was payd by many Citizens Merchants Lawyers and Physicians 5 Although we do not find in the Practice of primitive Churches among Jews or Gentiles mentioned in the New Testament that either the Apostles or other Pastors and Ministers alwaies used this power or strictly required the just proportion of a Tenth which to the beleving Jews on whom the Charges due to the Altar still lay for a time might have seemed a burthen and so to the Gentiles among whom not many rich or Noble but poor and mean people in Cities chiefly received the Gospel and this oft with persecution Yet we find in those daies in stead of exact Tithes and setled maintenance that which is not in these daies to bee expected Namely Acts 2.45 That in those primitive times Christians were willing to sell all or great part of their possessions to bring the price of them and lay it at the Apostles feet for their support and the Churches relief So fa● did they as then so afterward exceed the proportion of a tenth part that many gave all they had and themselves too to serve the Lord and his Church Those were excusable in their poverty and persecution if they had come short of a tenth and were commendable where they most what exceeded it Wisdome teacheth us that necessity dispenseth with positive precepts that different times requires different counsels and wayes yet alwayes keeping neerest to Gods rule and aiming at the same good end Those were the purest flames of Christians first Love and Primitive Zeal when Apostles and other excellent Ministers of the Gospel were received as the Angels of God the feet of those Messenge s of peace were beautiful Their persons dearer to believers then their right eies The honor of their calling and Ministry daily kept up with frequent miracles that the poverty of S. Peter Acts 3 6. when he had not gold or silver was venerable by the miraculous power hee exerted to the creple in relieving him

as in the Old and intend as well the maintenance of those that preach the Gospel as it did of those that served at the Altar Quaere 2 The second Quere upon the account of Conscience is Whether the Lord hath any where in his Word Old or New Testament either expresly or by good consequence forbidden Ministers of the Gospel to receive and Christian people as such to give to them as maintenance either occasionally by private bounty of fixedly by publick donation a Tithe or Tenth of any goods increase as a part or portion meerly Typical Judaical and Ceremonial appropriated to the Levitical Ministry or Priesthood which by the coming of Christ is changed and so abolished that Tithes may no more now be used by Christians either Ministers or people than Sacrifices or Circumcision Answ 1 To this the Answer is Negative Nothing in the word of God appears forbidding Christians by private or publicks bounty to set a part a Tenth of their increase or substance to the glory of God for the Maintenance of Piety or Charity both which ends the Ministry of the Gospel chiefly aymes at I say no more than it is forbiden or commanded to give any other portion above or below the Tenth Certainely if Christians may lawfully devote a 5 6 9 or a 12 15 20. part to the glory of God in a publick good no reason or Religion can be produced against the Tenth as the only unlawful portion 2. If any portion or quantity as a fit Medium between Ministers merit peoples retribution be specified intimated recommended or ordeined by God in the Gospel sure it is no other but this of Tithe or tenth as I shall afterwards prove in the 3. Quere If none be pointed out or signified as Gods choice then is any one lawful which is fit and that most lawful which is fittest to attain Gods end which is evidently commanded namely the competent maintenance of his Ministers under the Gospel at a rate answerable to that which those enjoyed under the Law 3. The scruple some make of Tithes as Jewish urging that place that since the Priesthood is changed the Law must bee changed Hebr. 7.12 and therefore no tithes are allowed to the Evangelical Ministry is easily answered § 1 1. It savours too much of the Jews covetous hard hart to question whether a Christian may not be as grateful to his Minister as a Jew was to his Priest of which there is no doubt And it argues too much of a Jewish confidence presumption to think that the Lord should so far prefer the Altar ministry before that of the Gospel Numb 18.21 Levit. 27.30 Gen. 14.20 Gen. 28.22 Plut. in Lucul Diodo Sic l. 5. c. 2. Macrob. Satur. l. 3. c. 12. Majores solitos decimam Herculi vovere è Varrone Plin. Hist Nat. l. 12. c. 14 Herod 1. Clio. Livi Dec. 1. l. 3 as to provide certain and ample Maintenance for the first and none for the second As if there were more excellency in a beast sacrificed then in Christ crucified § 2 2. The Divine appointment of Tithes to be payd as Gods portion among the Jews to his Priests doth not argue any thing so much as this that they are Gods still after the Law as they were his in a Religious right before the Law when Melchisedeck received them as a right of Abram and Jacob vowed them as a due to God from which ancient light of tradition and use among the Holy Patriarcks the opinion which many of the Heathens had touching the holiness of a tenth part of their goods and spoils arose which they in many places consecrated as due to their Gods Jupiter Hercules and others § 3 3. It doth not follow by any right reason that what ever the Jews used to Religious ends was therefore Ceremonial Typical and to be abolished There was never any thing in Tithes discovered as a Shadow Type or Ceremony They were used long before Moses the institution and end of them in all times depended meerly upon common grounds of Piety Equity and Gratitude both to God and man The most wise and just will of God was pleased to accept first from the Patriarck and afterward to claim as his own Levit. 27.30 then to assigne that quantum or portion of Tenths for his publick service and the sustenance of those men who were imploied in it Now since the same ends as to the main are still required by the Lord namely the Maintenance of his publick Ministry under the Gospel there is no reason why Tithes as a proportionate means should be abolished Since there is still an Evangelical Priesthood and Ministry ordeined by God and derived from Christ which men needing Humane and Mortal supplys as much as the Levites and Priests of old did now exercise celebrate and administer doubtless as the same necessities now require like supplies and a parallel livelyhood is by the Lord ordeined in the Gospel so nothing hinders but these may bee made by the same measure of tenths upon the same grounds of equity which were valid among the Jews Especially considering the Ministry of the Gospel is more paineful more honorable and not lesse useful than that of old was Nor is it to bee presumed that God should be more strait handed to this Ministry which hath the honor to be in Christs stead the Lord of glory the beloved Son of God § 4 4. It is most certain that the same moral tyes and dutys he now upon Christians which did upon the Jews in matters of Piety Equity and Charity yea and those Patternes of Prudence and Policy in Church or State which were used by them are so far allowed and by Gods pattern recommended as best to Christians according as they wisely consider the fitnes of them as means to those holy ends which the Lord still requires The sanctifying of a Sabbath or day of rest Confessing of sins over the sacrifice reading and hearing the Law and Prophets explained Praying to and praising of God Charity to the poor Relief of enemies in distress Reconciling before they come to the Altar with their gift preparation before the Passover c. So also as to other Lawes Judicial Penal and Political which the Jews had and observed by a positive command of God Christians may under a different ministration and form use and do the same things upon those moral and general grounds of Equity Piety and Charity which are still and ever will bee in force as they are in this point of Ministers maintenance by Tithes as well yea better than an any other way § 5 5. What sober and judicious Christian understands not this clearTruth That where any duty is at large or in general commanded by the Lord the same duty in its particular circumstances qualifications and restrictions which humane prudence according to the liberty granted puts upon it is also commanded approved and accepted and so becomes not onely lawful but necessary in its