A LETTER Written to a Christian Friend and one of the Parliament Men. PROPOSING The groundlesness of the Plea for TYTHS impropriat TYTHS or TYTH as a Revenue due to the Magistrat Psalm 119. verse 128. Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way FOR THOV SHALT LABOR PEAC PLENTIE LONDON Printed the sixth day of the Tenth Month in the year of our Lord 1653. Christian Reader THere are Reasons not expressed why this Letter was printed and did you know what muzing thoughts in the solitary night I had and what prayers and sighes went from my heart desiring God to speak me silent because being no party that pay or receive Tyth and how I have objected that I am no man of power in the Nation and that I minde things too high for me and am unprofitable to Church or State and a Vessell but for mean use and that needs must I erre being no Master-builder Yet considering again the Great Potter of the Earth hath made me for some End I dare not but move as I am moveed the dumb Ass was not to be smitten when not faulty Thus praying you that what you finde rude and weak in these ensuing Lines that charge on mee as mine but what you finde of Truth and Justice there that is my God's and thy God's to whom I commit thee and all the Flock of Christ And that you may reade without prejudice I shall conceal my Name not fearing who can blot it if written in the Lamb's Book of Life Honorable Sir THe Salutacion of him that is unworthy greets you and presuming on your unfeigned love to the Lord Iesus Christ and all his Saints I do write these and that you should not want encouragement in this Work of the Lord now called to I shall tell you the prayers and breathings of the hearts of Gods Saints are that you may do worthily and much for Gods honor first be as zealous for the Sons honor as the Son was for his Fathers See you not the pollutions of the Land how base and wicked men make merchandise of the Word of the Lord and preach in the Name of the Lord when the Lord never sent them that know nothing of the operation of the Spirit by which the Word should be published these dumb Souls I hope you will finde somewhat like the Rods of small Coards to drive them out for they have no part nor fellowship in this business well you may call them your Servants and Hierlings but Christ owns them not they never came in by the Door wherefore their work and your care and wages for them shall be all set down for nothing in the last Account why hear you not the bleatings of of the flocks that cry Take away these Wolves that rob us at your pleasure You tell us dear Friend the Knot of Tyth you cannot undo now the Lord God and Father of Iesus be with you and teach you to work in your work I presume you are not left to serve alone for the Father of Spirits is with you Sir I believe the foolish things of this World shall stand and confound the wise and I do here presume you will suffer a Fool gladly because you are wise Indeed I cannot believe Tyths are now to be practised for it was the Iews Law proper to them onely because no where commanded but in the Ceremonial Law and there was for divers uses whereof God provides for himself a Sacrifice the first born the Levites had no other Portion nor Inheritance amongst their Brethren but Tyths the Priests were to have some certain Flesh the first fruits and for Purification also the Poor the Strangers Widdows and fatherless were fed of the Tyths and these with other Ceremonial worship were Types and Shadows of glorious things to come and to be fulfilled by our great High Priest Christ Iesus and therefore 't is clear Hebr. 7.12 the Priesthood being changed there is a necessity of changing that Law it was not Moral God never commanded Abraham to give the Tenth nor Melchisedeck did not demand it but the Text sayth He gave the Tenth amongst the Israelites when they prospered by the Sword they shared the Spoil to those which remained at home as well as to those that went to war Now we finde it cast out of the New Testament and disused among the Chrstian Churches in the Primitive time and of a truth it will and must follow they were brought in by Antichrist or some tyrannical Prince for him and was diverted from Monks and Friers to Bishops and Deans and then to the National Ministry and now some would have it for a Gospel-Ministry but shall that which was for the most part yea I may say altogether raised by the Pope the Antichrist and imposed and confirmed by Popish Laws Councils and Parliaments and was an Innovation of Antichrist for his worship and is this day one of the Crutches he leaneth on in England shall this poor Inheritance crept out of Babel be divided amongst them all Must all share of it No let every one have his right let the Antichristian Magistrate Minister and Worshipers take what pertains to them and the Christian Magistrate Minister and Worshipers take what pertains to them we are not of the entailed Heirs of Antichrist we drink not all of one Rock we have sworn and covenanted with and before the high God to resist in our Places all Popery and Popish Innovations in Doctrine Worship and Discipline Now some say they were of free Gift but prove that perhaps some were but most was imposed and that was to an idolatrous use and therefore it was ill done to give and worse to force it from men for who required it at their hands also it is an unjust Maintenance there is no Calling pays like the Farmer although there are rich moneyed men great Merchants and Tradesmen in the Land far-way abler yet pay little or nothing also some Land pays nothing at â—ll and other Lands which pay Tenths which many times amounts to three parts of the Rents are cozened and pay the Tenth of all their stock every year not laying by his Seed every year which he payd the Tenth of the year before the Law gave but the Tenth of the Increase also you have the Tenth of the Sheep and the Tenth of the Wool of the nine that remained therefore this will bear the name of a cruel curst Law by this means they bear dominion over us and the Yoak is heavier upon that Calling than all others contrary to the Apostles Rule 2 Cor. 8.13 neither is it that others should be eased and you grieved how like Iews do we look with our Oblations Tyths and Offerings Are we in carnal Ierusalem still or coming toward Mount Sion that new Ierusalem Surely we are on our way then stand by you Tithes you are not of Christ Men fear and care and conclude no Ministery nor worship of
Tyths as that they bought them nor yet of Gift Antichrist was no such Benefactor to raise them and give it to any other than the Brats of his own breed and a strange thing it is how it should come to them by descent for sure they are not all of one stock but haply the Magistrat having long accustomed himself with old Idolaters and Tyrants and living with them might observe their manners and at last divide the Prey as well as others before as it is sayd of the two sons of Josias Ezek. 19. being nourished among the Lions whelps they became as Lion Indeed I may say though there be much Rubbish of the Romish Kirk cast out yet all the High places are not quite taken away and though Tyths have been confirmed by Popish Parliaments and the Kirk so called who have been Lords Paramount in England for many years and so would not let their glory fall also by others who have shared the Spoyl with them whose Interest hath been as sweet to them as their Perogative I say what if these have kept up the old Custom yet this lets not but a Christian Magistrate may and ought to take down all the high Places that remain O foolish Generacion why count ye it an hard thing to cast out Tyths have you any thing to say more why this should not cease but only your Covetousness and Custom I presume you will not in other Cases plead that Custom gives a clear Right and Intrest for then those that have accustomed themselves to steal may plead Custom to be a Law for them and he that hath received a guift may plead it is a duty for the Donor to give another guift indeed you make such a Smoak with your Arguments as have put out and blinded the eyes of many and made many look as it were a-squint The Prophets are bid to cry aloud against the Abominacions of the Times Iam no Prophet nor prophets Son yet I am bold to perswade you to do what you can to cast out Baal and all the Idols thereof and Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently If any shall maintain Tyths to be a lost Inheritance and would make use of Num. 5.8 for a recovery and to be dedicated to the Ministry for the Service of the Lord Ishall answer this instance is improper first because the Text speaks of a wrong done a sin or trespass against any man for that is implied some man must be wronged but who is wrong'd here or what Minister of Christ can chalenge Tyth to be his and if none be wronged none ought to be offended if taken away and then there is no Sin or Trespass committed but if you say they are the Magistrates then what need you strain so far to bring a lost Law to make it a lost Inheritance for the Law was Ceremoniall in every branch of it first there is required Restitucion with the Principal a recompence of the Trespass and a fifth Part added now what Law of God that is Morall requires any other then Restitucion according to the nature of the offence somtimes bare Restitucion somtimes four-fold somtimes seven but Restitucion of principal Dammage and a fifth Part added is Ceremoniall if not why do not all Offenders add the fifth Part. Secondly to be payd to the use of the Preists for the Service of the Lord but now there is no such Subject or Object the Preist-hood is fallen and we look for one to come Thirdly Restitucion was not nor could not be made without the Ram for Atonement for the Text sayth besides the Ram for Atonement I know it was practised by the mother Church of Rome when any man dyed Intestat the Pope possessed himselfe of all the Estate Tythes are not so Civâ—ll as some men account they were set apart from common uses and conferred upon the Church because the Tenth was counted holy and whether it was done by the Pope or some towardly Son of his and their ingenious Councill yet it was their vain Supersticion to divert this holy Tenth to the Church because now no express Stipend or constant Salary is allotted since the Jewes Law for the Service of the Lord and to keep up worship what God required in one Generacion he required not in another for worship how differently was God well pleased in the severall Ages of the world in Abels time before the Floud and Abrahams time it was different from Moses and Solomons time and that different from the Apostles and Primitive time the first Fruits of Sheep that would serve in one Age was not enough in another Age with the Tenth and Redempcion of the first-born and daily Sacrifice but abundance must be added for the Tabernacle and Temple work in its time and for the Church in the New Testament you know all these chargable Sacrifices were too little Christ tels the young man he must sell all Zaccheus gave halfe of his goods and Scripture sayth many that had Lands and Possessions couned the Price of them and layd it at the Apostles Feet because of the need we proporcion our Contribucion by our Civâ—ll Law according to the estate and condicion of the Object and we should lay out towards the Worship of God that that Worship might be maintained in honour by all that count it their honour to have a right worship and this is to be observed every one to minister according to what a man hath keeping this in your Eye the flourishing state of the Church and those that minister there sometimes the condicion of the Church may be such that the hundredth part of a mans Estate layd out in Gods Cause and Worship may be an acceptable Sacrifice and again at other times 3 parts of 4 will not be sufficient from whence you may conclude that Tyths Tenths or a certain Stipend enjoyned every man toward the Service or VVorship of the Lord is not the way of Christ and if you would not count me proud I would challenge you for an Instance from the Sciptures where the Magistrate was to use his Coërcive Power for the VVorship of God but the Prophets did acconut them accursed if they observed not all the Commands of God to do them Yet are Christian Magistrats an unspeakable Blessing in a Land and the age past would have found it so could the Flock of Christ but have escaped with their Lives out of the hands of those Wolves we enjoy more they are a Refuge to keep off the Storms they cast out and abhor Idolatry and false worship and are Tender of all that fear our God yea the Church may say behold the Magistrate is one with us he hands along with her therfore my prayer is that as he hath companied with her in the wilderness and hath lent her his help in an untrodden way amongst vast and terrible Enimies that he will travell with her till they both come to their Rest and certain it is there is a Rest
I had rather pass to the Grave and there rest in silence than to have my Name stand among that proud Generacion I know it was the fruit of Christs Intercession to store the Church with guifts for the edifying of the body of Christ that is the Church and the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel have a precious lustie comliness in my ey especially those that love the work for their Masters sake I mean the conversion of souls I say their employment is the most honourable they serve the Lord Christ They that convert soules to God shall shine as the Starres in the Firmament they are fathers in the Church and it may serve to humble men that God hath appointed this way to teach men by men And my prayer to God is that he would send out more faithfull Labourers for the harvest is great Also Maintenance for them is as clear an Ordinance as the other I could instance in many Scriptures Gal. 6.6 and the best of outward things befits the best Calling and not nigardly porcions for they must use Hospitality and so be Ensamples for their flock and for a Christian Nacion so professing to be t is not our glory but our shame to let them live beggerly and in disgrace as we flourish they should be partakers he that gives freely and of a chearfull minde he offers the acceptable Sacrifice to God and none is accepted for Sacrifice but such Our Saviour sayth the time shall come that he that worshipeth shall worship in spirit and in truth but you wil say who shal take care for the worship of God Ministers and Maintenance in the mean time That I suppose is your work to be studying how to be nursing fathers to the Church and to see that those that preach and publish the Gospel under your Dominion may have du encouragement and supply I think none wil deny but that they should participate with us in our good and pleasant temporall things and I judg it better by guift than force in the Old Testament they gave all things as they had them for building the Temple and Sacrifice the Apostle tels Ananias was it not in thy power Acts 5.4 The portion God appointed the Levites as it was typicall so to encourage them in the work so that being about the work of the Lord they might not be hindered and the mayntenance Ministers should receive besides as duty from the Donor it should be for encouragement to him whose work is enough for the whole body and minde is it any encouragement to a servant to continu his service that must su for his wages after earned by painfull sweatings and hard labor is it any encouragment to the Merchant and Tradesman after they have made use of their utmost skill in buying and waited to take the best season for Winde and Tide to bring home their Goods and after all must impose them on such as will never pay till haled to Prison this speaks the Commodityes to have no worth in them so for the Ministers of Christ to have their Wages by force and to be a man of strife when his Message is Peace and precious work it is I say for him to force and become a Ruff-man Can he do this and be encouraged in his work the Word sayth alluding to them The Labourer is worthy of his hier so that the Gospel is of some worth and O that the Gospel might dissolve hard hearts more many times it proves but souer Food to eat the Bread of him that hath an evil eye yet many have their teeth fet on edg I wish these faults were amended the covetousness of the Ministers less and the Charity of the People more I know no Rule in the Word of God that the Magistrat should study wholly to deliver the Minister from living somwhat by Faith now how far a Christian Magistrat may force worship and for worship in every Punctilio I will not dispute but this I know Gospel Principles bears that every man do what he do in Faith and this I know is according to the Law of Nations if the Magistrat command any thing against my conscience I ought to obey or suffer I will not undertake to say what the Magistrate may not do as a Magistrat but I conceive this he may do without oppressing any give to the Ministers the Glebe Land in all places also all those Lands wrested out of the Bishops hands for whatsoever we won by conquering our late Enemy and not sold in the three Nations is in your power to give or sell and much more were I a Statesman pardon the supposal I should bend my minde to finde out to serve the Church and bring my glory to her and if there were fewer fixed Ministers in most parts of the Downs and those places and Parishes where there are few Inhabitants joyned and an itinerat godly and able Ministry to journey from place to place it may probably awake the deaf and dead sinners more and O that they might hear the voyce of the Son of God and live but if they will not hear nor receive them to turn away But Sir want I Bowels or Expressions the dearest Lord knoweth I speak the truth in Christ I ly not for it pierceth my heart as sharp arrows to think that Gods Labourers for so they are called should toyl all the day of their Pilgrimage praying and woing men in Christs stead that they would be reconciled to God and while they are telling them the good tidings of the Gospel and counselling and pointing out to the foolish world Jesus Christ which is the tru Bread come down from Heaven and for all this men have no bowels moved to count them worthy of common Bread my heart pityes all hard hearts and all hearts bound up whom their own ey does not pity Let them know Mercy is but Mercy in its time and then Justice seals what Mercy leaves O you precious hearts consider your labor shall not be lost in the Lord Can you spend and be spent for the Lord Christ Remember who sayth it I will never leave you nor forsake you Do not think you serve an hard Master Can you believe the Children of the Earth will honor you with what is theirs Christ sayth The world loves its own and if ye were not the Children of the Light the world would not hate you I know no Rule they have to match the world so well as this ye stand by Faith in the greatest Peace and Prosperity that can be you are at uncertaintyes with the world how long you shall stand or when you shall fall Remember Christs Kingdom is not of this world therefore possess all you have or would have by Faith and it is not long but he that shall come will come and bring his reward with him but wo to those whose Gold and Silver is cankered through ignoble imployment for the Rust of it shall witness against them Dives hath his place I have nothing more with you for the present for I know not how you can bear this In the mean time you may be sure I honor your Authority your Counsel your Person and so commit you to the Eternal God and stil remain Your Honors in all humble and du observance FINIS