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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	law_n	moral_a	positive_a	5,166	5	11.3209	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10796	The reuenue of the Gospel is tythes, due to the ministerie of the word, by that word. Written by Foulke Robartes Batchelour of Diuinitie	Robartes, Foulke, 1580?-1650.	1613 (1613)	STC 21069; ESTC S115987	99,848	152

tythes haue beene repealed yet it may be that there is some guesse and peraduenture God may haue repealed tythes vpon some sufficient cause let him remember himselfe that a man must liue by faith and not by peraduentures Faith dareth not depart from the reuealed will of God vpon hope that peraduenture God hath otherwise determined seeing that the reuealed will of God which is the Scripture must bee our direction Therefore though paiment of tythes were not enioyned in the newe Testament yet it ought still to be performed because that what the olde Testament hath so plentifully required in this behalfe the same is not reuoaked in any Scripture either of olde or newe Testament The continuance of a law needeth not a repetition or second mention indeede no law is abrogated except it be mentioned but a lawe once made without any limitation of time is continued still in that it is not at all named Obiection 2. Payment of the exact tenth cannot be included in the morall lawe because the law of nature which is also the ● 2. 〈◊〉 morall lawe doth not so precisely regard a certaine number the instinct of nature regardeth not one number more then an other Answer The morall lawe is of larger extent then the lawe of nature the lawe of nature in strict signification is onely that common equitie whose principles are engrauen in our nature so as by the very instinct of nature we doe discerne the same in some measure of which sort are these Thou shalt worship one God Thou shalt honour thy father and mother Thou shalt not kill c. But the morall law comprehendeth all these naturall precepts and also some other positiue commandements giuen by God to continue not for a time as the ceremonialls and iudicialls but for euer of this kind is the fourth commaundement for a set day in euery weeke to be consecrated to the solemne worship of Almightie God such also was the prohibition of cating the forbidden fruite and such is this law of tythes Morall because ordained of God without limitation to continue to the end of the world but not natural in that st●●ctnesse of signification because the light of nature doth not discouer it in this determined number Obiection 3. There were three sorts of tythes in the old Testament one tenth to maintaine the Leuite and Priest who had his tenth out of the tenth of the Leuite Numb 18. v. 24. and 26. an other tythe to be eaten in the place which the Lord should ch●●se Dent. 14. 23. and a third tythe euery third year● for the L●uite and poore Deut. 14. ●9 Now the second and third tythes are ceased therefore why are not the first also ceased Answer God commanded in the law diuers sorts of Saboaths as the Saboath of dayes Exod. ●0 10. the Saboath of weekes Leuit. 23. 15. the Saboath of yeares Leuit. 25. 4. and they had also the great Saboath Ioh. 19. 31. But now that great Saboath the saboath of yeares and the saboath of weekes haue ceased and yet the saboath of dayes remaineth So in the seuerall kinds of tythes the two latter sortes ceasing doe not also inferre a nullitie of the first Secondly Aquinas answereth this obiection saying 2. ● q 8●●● ● that the second sort of tythes were in the olde law reserued to serue at the offering of the sacrifices and therefore haue now ceased because the sacrifices haue ceased and a● for the third sort of tythes which were for the poore they are not ceased but augmented in the new Testament in that wee are commanded to giue almes of all that wee can spare for so hee readeth that place Luk. 11. 41. Thirdly there is an answer to be framed to this obiection 〈…〉 De●● 14. ●8 out of the words of M. Calvin who is of iudgement that the Israelites did not vpon the third yeare separate a tythe for the poore besides that which they ordinarily separated for the Leuites but only that the tythes which other yeares were wholly separated for the preists and Leuites alone were the third yeare to be so set apart as that the poore also must haue a share in them and then the same remaineth still in the new Testament for so we doe acknowledge both in word and practise that we are not to conuert the tythes wholly to our owne vses without affoarding a share vnto the poore out of them not Ro● 〈◊〉 ●o● 〈◊〉 onely euery three yeares but also euery yeare and euery day as their neede requireth and as our abilitie doth extend Obiection 4. If the Ministers of the new Testament must haue like tythes as the Leuites had then they may not owne any other estats whether purchased with mony or descending vnto them by inheritance for the Leuites were allowed no other part among their brethren sauing onely the tythes Numb 18. 20. Answer The courses that are taken in abridging Ministers of their tythes together with other charges which are continuall vpon them and the hospitalitie and charitie expected at their hands beyond others of much better abilitie will easily take order that Ministers be no great purchasers And to preuent Ministers that they become not great heires there is a reasonable sure practise when fewe or none preferre any of their sonnes to the ministerie but those for whom they haue or to whom they will giue none other inheritance to the poore is the Gospel preach●d saith our Sauiour and by the poore is the Gospell also preached may we affirme when for the most part heires and gentlemen repute the Ministery too base a calling for their imployment But suppose that the priuate possessions and inheritances of Ministers were greater then they are ten times doubled yet notwithstanding it doth not follow that their tythes gleab and offerings should depriue them of their priuate estates For the case of the Leuites is herein no president for vs because the Leuites were to take no further care for their wiues and children then to leaue them in the common estate of the Church as they were before the children did alwaies succeede their parents in administring vnto the Lord and receauing tythes and offerings for the preisthood and Leuiticall administration was peculiar to that tribe therefore they needed no other inheritance but their tythes off●rings and Citties But the Ministerie of the Gospel is not tied to any one family but in all degrees and kinreds those are to bee imployed in this seruice whom God hath endued with zeale and wisedom sutable for the calling so that when the father is dead the children are vtterly destitute further then prouision hath beene made for them by the carefulnesse of their parents while they liued Therefore though the Leuites had no other portion but the inheritance of their publique Ministerie yet the Preachers of the Gospel may be owners of priuate lands and riches because that the wifes and children of the Ministers of the Gospell doe not liue sustained by the tythes when

God secundum literam literally and precisely as they were in the old Testament And vntill the times of Alexander de Hales who was the master of Aquinas which was about the yeare 1240. after Christ howsoeuer there was much wrong and sacriledge practised there was not other doctrine taught concerning tythes But from that time as we shewed ●●pra cap. 6. before haue the Schoolemen in the steppes of Alexander trampled downe this truth and yet not with out resistance from time to time For in the time of Clement Carlet tyth cap. 5. the eight Pope of Rome about the yeare 1266. liued Iohannes Semeca author of the Glosse vpon Gratian. The opinion of this Semeca as wee cited before in the 12. Chapter is plaine that both prediall and personall tythes are alike due by the law of God And M. Carleton in the fift Chapter of his booke of Tythes citeth out of Krantzius how this Semeca withstood the Pope Clement exacting Th●●amest●●● of Semeca called also 〈◊〉 is cited out of the sea of histories State of the Cha● p. 303. acting tythes out of Germanie and was thereupon deposed by the Pope from the gouernment or prouostship of Halberstade And some fourescore yeares after Semeca liued Nicholaus Lyra who howsoeuer hee be corrupt in diuers points according to the errors of the time yet hee taught this point of tythes not after the corrupt doctrine of the Schoolemen but after the Fathers as we doe now Strabus also is plaine In vtroque testament● Ministris altaris decimae oblationes ad necessaria tribuuntur 〈…〉 Numb 1● that is In both the Testaments tythes and offerings are giuen to the Ministers of the altar for their needefull maintenance But the truth is that in those corrupt midnight times of Poperie they were very few though alwaies some thorough Gods goodnes who did maintaine any point of truth then suppressed or oppressed the greater number yea almost all betooke themselues to sooth the Pope in his sacriledge amongest many other grosse falsehoods this one point of Poperie also preuailed vz. that tythes were not due by the word of God Indeed as we said before Cap. 2. this point was not so fully discouered to be Poperie by all our late blessed reformers but that diuers of them beeing busied with waightier matters more needfull for the time they either passed by this point as wanting time to examine it or else they tooke it as they found it without any great scanning yet not so as they were all deceiued in it for the Lord did not suffer all of them to let slip a truth so needfull for his Church but would needs that some of them should plainely auouch it Gualter that godly and learned doctor of Tigurie in his Gualt in Matth. 23. 23. homilies vpon Matt. hauing shewed both the originall of tythes before the law and also the vse of them vnder the law at last he addeth Debent hac ad ecclesiam noui testamenti transferri e●si enim Leuiticum sacerdotium abolitum si● sacra legalia cessarint manet tamen Ministerium euangelij c. that is These tythes ought to be translated vnto the Church of the new Testament for though the Leuiticall preisthood be abolished and the legall rites ceased yet the Ministerie of the Gospel remaineth c. and by and by he saith further in the same place At quae iustior ratio excogitari potest alendi ministros quàm vt ex decimis viuant that is what more equall course can be deuised for the maintenance of Ministers then that they should liue of their tythes Of the same opinion also is Zepperus Zeppe● d● l●g Mos l. ● cap 40. a late and learned German writer Decimae pars sunt illius stipendij quod ministris pro officij sui laboribus diuino naturali iure debetur that is tythes are a part of the stipend which by the law of God and of nature is due to the Ministers for the labours of their calling And now further by the good endeauours of our owne learned Countrimen who haue laboured in this point the matter hath beene more thoroughly examined and the cleare truth is come to light so as many who haue bin otherwise minded doe now acknowledge that doctrin which the word of God and the auncient Fathers and reason it selfe doe so fully importe and auouch vz. that true payment of tythes is due to the Ministers of the word of God by that word whereof they are Ministers and quia magna est veritas praeualebit because great is the truth it will preuaile by the blessing of God which makes it powerfull Obiection 10. Yet hereby doe you but bewray your couetousnesse while you contend and striue so much for worldly maintenance Answer I haue in part preuented this cauill in mine answer to the eight obiection but because I am desirous what I can to remooue all rubbes I will here adde something more fully and say First our strife herein is no way blameable whilest we doe but modestly demand by an orderly proceeding that thing which the word of God assigneth vnto vs. Secondly he is not couetous who asketh his own but he is couetous and iniurious also who detaineth the good from the owner thereof Thirdly it is not riches but the truth that wee striue for God the searcher of the hearts doth know our harts if it were not more for desire to bring the truth to light as much as we can then for any hope of gaine by so vnthankefull a worke we should not once goe about either to write or to speake one word in this argument And so for mine owne part I giue thankes to God vpon the knees of mine heart that I haue not vndertaken this labour either at the first in preaching or since in preparing this treatise for the presse either of a mind desirous to oppose any who is as yet of differing iudgement from me in this matter nor yet vrged by extreamitie of neede or discontentment at my portion such as it is by the bountie of God for naked I came and so I shall re●u●● But onely I am willing to declare vnto others so much as I can of this truth as the goodnesse of God hath reuealed the same vnto me vpon my meane industrie in the search thereof and according to my poore faith and iudgement to giue my voice and suffrage as weake as it is in the cause with those who haue pleaded the same before mee with greater dexteritie So farre forth as shall please almightie God to open mens eyes and to incline their hearts to see and acknowledge this doctrine we shall haue cause with reuerend thankfulnes to praise his name and gladly to enioy the fruit of our labours And whereas otherwise any bodie shall repute our arguments sleighter then to be yeelded vnto yet neuertheles we shall by the grace of God go on chearefully and faithfully in the worke of our calling knowing assuredly that while we labour sincerely to glorifie the Lord and to edifie his Church in all needefull knowledge our reward may a while be deferred and denied by man in this world but it will be heaped vpon vs with the greater measure of true happines in the kingdome of heauen by almightie God And therefore in regard of these wordly things I say vnto my brethren and to my selfe as the Apostle speaketh to seruants Art thou called beeing a seruant care not for it but ●f thou mayest bee 1. Co● 7. 21. 22 free vse it rather for he that is called in the Lord beeing a seruant is the Lord freeman likewise also he that is called beeing free is Christs seruant So if we must continue still in this more seruile condition to be prouided for a● the curtesie of our Churches let vs not care for it but if we can happily obtaine the more free estate to receiue the tythes which are our due let vs vse it ●ather for he that ministreth in meanesse and needinesse he is rich and eminent in the Lord for great is his reward in heauen and he that aboundeth in the riches of this world is in Christ but all one with the meanest of his brethren Wherefore I conclude with this earnest supplicationn vnto all men of reason and ciuilitie namely Whatsoeuer you shall thinke of tythes yet for Gods sake wee beseech you and for his sake who bledde and dyed for you in vnconceiueable tortures vpon the accursed and yet most blessed crosse that as you doe professe his name so you would haue his ministers in due account professe not by neglecting and contemning them that the religion of Christ which you magnifie in word you repute indeede to be little worth and so meanely to be maintained Let vs finde that our preaching hath as deliuered you from the superstition and myserie of Poperie so also seasoned you with true powerfull Christianitie Let vs find that whilest we haue informed your vnderstanding the enemie hath not peruerted your affections with irreuerence and neglect of religion We referre the cause to be scanned by your discretion and your discretion to be directed by the grace of God AMEN MATTH 22. 21. Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods FINIS TO THE READER Who faulteth not liueth not who mendeth faults is commended The Printer hath faulted a little it may be the author ouersighted more Thy paine Reader is the least then erre not thou most by misconstruing or sharpe censuring least thou be more vncharitable then either of them hath been heedlesse God amend and guide vs all Pag. lin       12. 30 when he was not bound   if he had not beene bound 32. 11. bidgnadha● rach   hilgnadhai rak 56. 1. absoletum reade absoletum 79. 5. as   then 83. 18. those   these 134. 18. then the ciuill   then that the ciuill 28. 21.   blotte of 53. 35.     did Marg. pag. 1. for Eph. read Tim.