Saviour in this place also approveth of the payment of Tythes not a word of prohibition or cessation but an approbation of the payment of Tythes as the peoples duty in those days Had he declared that Tythes should no more be paid after his time certainly it would have pleased many a carnal hearer at that time as the hopes of that prohibition or cessation it is to be feared would please too many carnal hearted prophane or spiritually and Antichristianly deluded and seduced souls in these days who would remove both Ministers and their just Maintenance if it did lie within their power But you have not a word from Christ of cessation or taking away of Tythes from the Priests of those times or from the Ministers of the Gospel in succeeding ages 3. The third place in which Tythes are spoken of is that of the same Evangelist Luke 18.11 12. Two men went out into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a publican the Pharisee gloried in his performances God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican I fast twice in the week and give Tythes of all that I possess The Publican humble in his own eyes O God be merciful to me a sinner Our Saviour doth not condemn the Pharisee for his giving of his Tythes of all he did possess but for that he trusted in his own righteousness as you may see evidently manifest in the end why Christ did speak the Parable Luke 18.9 He spake this Parable unto certain that trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others So that you see here is not a word of our Saviour against Tythes or the payment of Tythes in his time nor a word of prohibition that his Ministers in the New Testament should not receive Tythes yea rather Christ approveth the payment of Tythes as part of the Pharisees righteousness which they ought not to leave undone and he tells his Disciples that exccept their righteousnss do exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth 5.20 Origen in Mat. From which Origen in his time prosseth the payment of Tythes in the Gospel as a duty The fourth and last place in the New Testament where tythes are spoken of is that of the Apostle Heb. 7. in which Chapter tythes are mentioned six or seven several times and in none of these are Tythes condemned by the Spirit of God in the Apostles but rather approved and declared to continue even to the worlds end as Christ's right and special part for maintenance of his service who is a Priest not after the order of Aaron for a time but a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec To give you a clear light to see this truth read the Chapter and you shall finde that the Apostle in the three first verses rehearseth the History recorded in Genesis of Melchisedec and Abraham First Melchisedec described by his Offices 1. A King or King of Salem vers 1. Interpreted first King of Righteousness secondly King of Salem that is King of Peace vers 1 2. 2. A Priest of the most high God yea made like the Son of God abiding a Priest continually vers 2. 3. He describeth Melchisedec by his Actions First he met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings Secondly He blessed him 2. Again he describeth Abraham by his owning of Melchisedec as a Priest of the most high God giving him the tenth of all as Gods portion the Tythe due to God To whom Abraham gave the tenth part of all vers 2. 3. He sets forth the greatness of Melchisedec above the Patriark Abraham First Because Abraham gave him the tenth Now consider how great this man was to whom even the Fatriark Abrahm gave the tenth of the Spoils De summitatibus rerum Of the tops of things vers 4. So our Translators render it But the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de praecipuis c. the Greek signifies of the tops of the heaps of the very best things which may be of other things as well as of the spoils Secondly because Melchisedec blessed him for the less is blessed of the greater saith the Apostle vers 7. 4. The Apostle compareth the Priesthood of Melchisedec and Aarons â—iesthood together and proveth the superexcellency of Melchisedec's Priesthood above Aaron's and this by divers arguments taken from Tythes or their divers grounds manner and order of their taking of Tythes as you may read in the fift and sixt verses and the verses following For first vers 5. he affirmes that they that are of the sons of Levi who receive the office of the Priesthood they have a commandment to receive Tythes of the people according to the Law or by vertue of that law yea of their brethren though they came out of the loyns of Abraham But verse the sixth He that is Melchisedec Heb. 7.6 whose descent is not counted from them received Tythes of Abraham great Grandfather of Levi who had the Priestood and blessed him that had the promises Therefore Melchisedec's Priesthood is far more excellent then the Priesthood of Aaron or Levi because he received Tythes not by vertue of the Levitical Law but by a higher and far more antient right even by a right from God himself as Gods High Priest more antient then Levi by far as your may read Gen. 14.20 Abraham Great-Grandfather of Levi paid Tythes to Melchisedec the Priest of the most high God four hundred years before Levi's Priesthood was appointed Secondly Heb. 7.8 Verse the eighth the Apostle proveth this by another Argument Heb. 7.8 Here men that dye saith he receive Tythes that is herein in the Priests of Aaron and Levies order they who are mortal receive Tythes they and their Priesthood are mortal and so their receiving of Tythes it mortal as dying like themselves and their order of Priesthood is dead and gone and their tything dead as Levies Priesthood ended But here Melchisedec that Priest of the most high God and his order receive tythes of whom it is witnessed that he liveth for verse 3. Melchisedec is said to have neither beginning of days nor end of life and so he liveth to receive tythes while the world lasted not in himself but in Christ whom he typified and who is a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec and so to receive Tythes as Melchisedec did not from any right from Levi or the Levitical Law but in his own right from God his Father who made him heir of all Heb. 1.2 Thirdly Melchisedec's Priesthood was more excellent then Aaron's or Levi's because Levi who received tythes paid tythes in Abraham to Melchisedec for he was yet in the loyns of his Father his Grandfather Abraham when Melchisedec met him as the Apostle declareth Heb. 7.9 10. Vers 9 10. But we read not that Melchisedec paid tythes at
all It is Christ's priviledge to receive tythes not to pay tythes therefore Melchisedec's and Christ's Priesthood is far more excellent then Aaron's or Levi's Priesthood or their order Fourthly The Apostle taketh another Argument from the Law of Ordination of each Priesthood Melchisedec's and Aaron's and so of Christ's and Aarons This vers 15 16 17. Because Christ who ariseth another Priest after the order or similtude of Melchisedec he is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment the Levitical Law which is ended Psa 110.4 but after the power of an endless life Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melceisedec Therefore as Melchisedec did so doth and may Christ receive tythes for they are Gods part and Christ's part as Heir to God his Father and so tythes are rightly yea by Divine right due to Christ And thus you see there is nothing in the New Testament in all these places in which tythes are mentioned by which God the Father may be proved to have given away tythes from Christ his Son the Lord of his Church and of his Servants in the Ministery of the Gospel nor in which Christ hath released his right to any or disposed of it to any but to his Ministers for their labor in his service in the Gospel Therefore whatsoever the erring Anabaptists or Quakers speak to the contrary to their seduced Disciples Tythes are the Lords still and will be to the end of the world But some Quakers or Anabaptists it may be will object further Object 4 If we grant that Tythes are the Lord Christs yet what proof is there that they are the Ministers of Christ now in the New Testament Christ doth not name Tythes with any command to give them to his Ministers and Ambassadors where find we any such thing in the New Testament I answer Answer Although Christ doth not name Tythes by a particular command to pay them to his Ministers yet he doth by himself and by his Spirit in the Apostles command as much in substance as if he had named Tythes or challenged his right in them for the maintenance of his servants in the work of the Gospel For first Mat. 10.7.8 Luk. 10.1 2 3.4 c. If we read the manner of Christs Commission or sending those his Disciples to preach the Gospel as it is recorded Mat. 10. and Luk. 10. Christ sends them forth as laborers into his harvest and he giveth them a charge to take no purse nor scrip nor silver nor brass no provisi on for maintenance but to eat and drink what was set before them and he giveth the reason For the laborer is worthy of his meat and worthy of his hire or reward for his labor Now I demand the Question Whose laborers are Christ Ministers are they not Christs and who should pay them their wages or give reward or maintenance for their labor in preaching and publishing the Gospel is it not Christ and out of whose substance or estate should Christ pay his Workmen is it not our of his own If not why then did not Christ give them provision with them when he sent them out to preach the Gospel but sends them to the people of the world many of which would not receive them and wisheth them to receive of the people whither they came for their maintenance Certainly it is not that Christ would take any thing from others that was none of his own to pay his workmen with but to teach us that Christ had a part a portion and inheritance in the peoples hands the Tythes the Lords reserved part and out of this his own part Christ expected his Disciples his Preachers of the Gospel should be maintained and threatens those who should refuse to give his servants entertainment Luk. 10.11 If any receive you not saith Christ shake off the dust of your feet against them And it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that man or that woman or that city that refuseth Christs servants or denieth them that part which the Lord Christ appoints them for their just and due maintenance Witness our Saviour himself Luke 10.10 11. 2. Again Rom. 15.26 27. the Apostle Paul holdeth forth this as a duty That to those that communicate spiritual things it is the peoples duty to communicate carnal things to them Rom. 15.26 Thus between the Jews and the Gentile and thus between the Ministers of Christ and the people for the reason is the same The Ministers communicate spiritual things in the preaching of the Gospel therefore the people are debrors to them and it is their duty to communicate temporral or carnal things such as are for the comfortable livelihood of Christs Ministers And if it be the peoples duty then it is a debt they owe to Christ and to his servants and if they owe it to God and to Christ then it is Gods none of theirs And what is held forth to be Gods special part or portion for maintenance of his service and servants Mal. 3. Heb. 7. but the tenth part the Tythes which were and are Gods and Christs as noted before 3. The same Apostle A compatatis 1 Cor. 9 proveth by divers arguments from divers comparisons that there is a part due to Gods faithful Ministers laborers for Christ in the Gospel Thus vers 7. 1. From a Soldier 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 23. Jud. v. 4. And why noticceive their pay due from Christ for the same 1 Cor. 3.6 7. From a Soldier Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges Gods Ministers are soldiers for Christ to defend the truth of the Gospel against all enemies to contend for the faith once given to the Saints 2. Again Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Gods Ministers are planters And wherefore should they not eat of the fruit for their labor feed on Gods part which he hath reserved the Tythes for their maintenance 3. Act. 20 28 Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Gods Ministers are Shepherds and wherefore should they not eat of the milk of the Flock why should not Gods tenth be for their nourishment 4. The like arguments taken from the husbandman and other laborers and these grounded upon the law the law of God nature or reason vers 8 9. Say I these things of my self saith he saith not the law also the same For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corn Den. 25.4 1 Cor. 3.9 10. Doth God take care for oxen or saith he it altogether for our sates For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope Gods Ministers are Gods husbandmen and laborers Gods people are Gods husbandry And good reason Gods laborers should partake of the
benefit of their labors and receive Gods part the Tenth which the Lord hath reserved for them Thâ— Apostle proceeds with other arguments from the equity of this duty v. 11. No man goeth to war without wages c. We are Ministers of Christ figâ—â— for you plant you feed you c Ergo It is your duty to pay us wages fruit and mâ—lk Sir James Sempill of Sacrilege since Gospel p 53. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things If we communicate to you the Gospel-gladtidings for the nourishment of your souls is it a great matter that we receive Gods part from you for the nourishment of our bodies In a word this he confirms by analogie and similitude with the maintenance of the Priests and Levites before Christ If the Priests and Levites who did minister about holy things of the Temple did by Gods appointment live of those holy things namely of Gods reserved part the Tythes and of Gods consecrated part As Levi lived by the Law so must our Ministry by the Gospel but Levi lived of holythings by the law viz tythes Ergo so must Ministers live of them in he Gospel Sir J. Semp. p. 58 As Levi lived by the Law so must we by the Gospel but Ievi lived by a certain maintenance by the Law viz tythes Ergo so must we live by a certain maintenance in the Gospel and why not by tythes Idem p. 56. things dedicated and freely given to God by the people then certainly the Ministers of Christ who in like manner so preach the Gospel should according to Christs appointment live of the Gospel yea of Christs reserved part the tenths of all and of those free gifts where tythes are not sufficient for their comfortable maintenance in and for their attendance upon the service of Christ their Lord and Master Thus doth the Apostle though not name tythes yet require as much in effect as a duty from the people to communicate tythes or an equal maintenance for and to the Ministers of Christ And this from the Lords ordinance for the paiment of that certain reward for their labor Luke 10.1 2 3 c. which the Lord hath appointed And of this certain reward or wages we read not in the Scripture what part it is but the Lords portion of tythes which was and is Gods part as we prove before Fourthly Gal. 6.6 If you consider that command of the same Apostle Gal. 6.6 it will make this yet more evident Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in omnibus bonis in all goods Our translators render it in all good things But if it be in all good things that he must make his Teacher partaker of yet whose must they be And if they be his own good things and then of his own goods why should the Apostle require this as a duty Let him that is instructed make him that instructeth him partaker of all his goods And why this as a duty to Christs servants if Christ hath not a right in them But what part must he make him partaker of Question Certainly the Quaker or Anabaptist will not say of the sixth part Answer nor of the seventh nor eight part And we will not say of the fiftieth or fortieth or twentieth part of his yearly increase that in most places will be too little for the comfortable maintenance of a Minister of the Gospel and to provide for his family them of his own house which he ought to take care of otherwise he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidel Agree that Christ hath a right to some part witness this Apostle 1 Tim. 5.8 Let us agree then that Christ hath a right to some part whatsoever part the Lord himself in his infinite wisdom hath set down and determined as his own reserved part for the maintenance of his Ministers that is the most fit the most equal and just part to be paid and given from him that is taught the Gospel of grace to him that teacheth him Gen. 14.8 ch 28. And this is the Tenth of all This tenth Abraham paid to Melchisedec and Jacob vowed this tenth to God before the Levitical Priesthood was in the world This tenth part he gave to Levi for an inheritance for his service in the Sanctuary during the life of his Priesthood and this tenth is due to Christ who is a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec and good reason the Ministers of Christ should partake of this tenth and receive it for Christ as Christs part for their service to the end of the world Thus you see what may be the sense of the Apostle Let him that is instructed make him that instructeth him partaker of all goods or in all good things of Christ in his possession For if Christ have no right why should he pay his Servants wages of that which he had no right unto certainly he would not do it But some Quaker or Anabaptist or others Object will yet object If the tenth be Christs and his Ministers Mat 10. Luke 10. then wherefore did not Christ direct his Disciples when he sent them abroad to preach the Gospel to require the tenth of the people nor his Apostle Paul neither in that 1 Cor. 9. nor in this place Gal. 6.6 command and expresly require their tythes as due to Christ and his Ministers by divine right and to be paid upon pain of damnation Luk. 10. Mal. 3.7 8 it being no less sin then sacriledge to rob God or Christ of them as is taught by some godly men both in antient and latter times I answer Answer 1 First for Christ the Tythes were then in his time and when he sent sorth his Disciples paid to the Jewish Priests and Levites of Aaron's or Levi's order as is evident in the Pharisees practice Luk. 18.12 And if Christ had commanded or directed his Disciples to demand Tythes it would have occasioned a controversie not easie to be decided Besides Levi's Priesthood was not then ended and therefore Tythes were then due to them and so ought to be paid as our Saviour himself tells the Pharisees Matth. 23.23 Therefore there was no reason Christ should then have commanded his Disciples to demand Tythes Again If Tythes had been to have ended with Levi's Priesthood and never to have been received by any of the Ministers of Christ then we may demand on the contrary part wherefore did not Christ our Saviour give an absolute prohibition to his Disciples and to preach it to all that should be converted to Christianity that they ought never to take any Tythes but that Tythes should be declared to end with Levi's Priesthood and this would have ended the question and settled a great deal of quiet in the Church if Christ had declared what maintenance his Ministers should have instead of Tythes
for Christ was faithful in all his house as Moses Hebr. 3.2 But Christ no where forbids Tythes nor serteth any maintenance instead of Tythes and therefore Tythes certainly are to coninue still by the mind of Christ even to the end of the world for would Christ here provide no settled maintenance for his Ministers who were sure to finde cold entertainment in the world For the Apostle that he did not require Tythes of the Corinthians or Galatians nor claim them as due to Christ's Ministers by Divine right nor other Apostles Peter John James or the rest there are good and sufficient grounds reasons good enough to answer this Objection 1. In those days in divers places and especially at Jerusalem there was a community of goods the Belivers sold ther Estates and laid the mony down at the Apostles feet Act. 4.32.34 and what need was there then of any claim of Tythes when all was at the dispose of the Ministers and Apostles of Christ or of the Church and Deacons and they lived of the common Treasuries what wisdom had it then been to claim Tythes 2. Euseb Ec. Hist lib. 4. cap. 25. Again then were times of persecution as you may read Act. 11.19 12 1 2. c. and this persecution against the Church continued to after times above a hundred and fifty years after hrist as Eusebius relateth Melito Bishop of Sardis in his A pology to the Emperor writeth that the godly people were grieved by new Edicts published throughout Asia and suffered persecution yea impudent Sycophants and greedy gapers after other mens goods having gotten occasion through those Proclamations openly rob and spoile day and night therefore he desires the â—mperor that he would not despise them who were greived and oppressed with that shamefull spoile Diverse persecutions were both before and after and was it then a time for the Ministers of Christ to press or claime the Tythes of poor persecuted Christians certainly no. 3. These Corinthians and Galatians and others Churches were but new Converts living amongst other Gentiles who were unbelievers and though the Apostle did claim and argue for his right of maintenance yet to avoid offence and hinde rance of the Gospels propagation in those infant days of the Church he did not use that power and right he had to take maintenance of them but charged other Churches to spare them not that he had not a right or that other Ministers had not a right but it was not then a fit time to require this right and therefore much less to claim or preach up Christs his right in Tythes 4. In a word the Apostles then were travellers up and down the world in several Countries to preach the Gospel and had no certain dwelling place as Paul himself witnesseth 1 Cor. 4.11 and what then should they have done with Tythes or to have claimed Tythes when Ministers were not setled nor was there any quiet state of the Church And these are reasons sufficient to quiet the Quakers quarrelling spirit if they were not restless in their malice against the Ministers of Christ or any moderate Anabaptist that their maintenance is due unto them by divine right Thus did the Apostle spare the Gentiles of any demand or nameing of tythes but when he writeth to the Hebrews then he names tythes Heb. 7. and declareth them to belong to Christ and so certain to Christs Ministers not from Aaron or Levi but from Christ himself who was a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec But some Quakers or Anabaptists it may be Object have found out that Objection as they pretend Heb. 7.12 The Levitical Priesthood being changed there must needs be a change of the Law Therefore tythes being under the Levitical Law and that Priesthood of Levi being changed there must needs be a change of the Law of Tythes and so Tythes must cease in the Gospel as being Levitical and Ceremonial I answer Answer It is true That the Levitical Priesthood is changed and that Covenant of Levi by Sacrifices and Ceremonies figuring Christ the Messias to come that is changed and ended all being fulfilled in Christ for that Law of Levies Priesthood in what respect it was Typicall Heb. 10.1 2 that had but a shadow of good things to come for it was not possible that the Blood of Buls and Goats could ever take away sin therefore Christ cometh and offers his own body and by that one offering once for all he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 so that these Levitical Sacrifices they are all ended by that one sacrifice of Christ But there were divers things which Levi did which were not typical or figurative ceremonies to be ended at the coming or ascention of Christ or in the time of the Gospel As first The Levites did ear and drink and wear apparel for their bodily nourishment and preservation of the life of Nature and this was not ceremonial but nature to be done by the Law of Nature and by the positive Law of God for God commanded our first parents to eat freely of the trees of the Garden Of every tree of the garden thou shalt eat freely Gen. 2.16 and this was not Levitical nor Ceremonial nor to end at the coming of Christ for Christ himself commandeth his Disciples when he sent them abroad to preach the Gospel to eat such things as were set before them Luk. 10.8 And if these actions of Levi were ended in Christ then it was unlawful for any man or woman to eat or drink or to wear apparel which is irrational and contrary to the mind of Christ Lu. 10.7 Secondly The Levites did bless the people this was another action of theirs Num. 6.22 c. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and his sons and say unto them on this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel And the Lord separated the Tribe of Levi to stand before the Lord and to bless in his name Deut. 10.1 And this was not ceremonial neither nor to end at Christs coming for Christ teacheth his Disciples to bless them that curse them Mat. 5.44 And the Apostles and Ministers of Christ do bless the bread and wine in the Sacrament 1 Cor. 10.16 And it was the practice of the Church and Ministers of Christ to bless or pray for a blessing on the corgregation 1 Cor. 4.16 Thirdly The Levites taught the good knowledge of God for which that good King Hezekiah spake comfortably to them 2 Chron. 30.22 And they did read in the Book of the Law Nehem. 8.8 9. and gave the sense and caused to understand the reading Nehem. 8. And these actions were not ceremonial nor to be abolished by Christ for Christ commands his Disciples that they should go and teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 20. And thus Philip did by the direction of the Spirit of God he opened the Prophet Isaiah to the Euâ—uch Acts 8.30.35 And the Apostle tells us
that Christ gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastort and Teachers Ephes 4.11 and therefore this office of teaching the people was not meerly Leviticall and to be abolished by Christ we see the holy Scripture doth plainly witness the contrary Fourthly Reward and wages for Levi's service was not ceremonial but Moral according to the Law of God and Nature not to end in Christ or at Christ's coming but to continue to God to his Minister laborers and Servants for their labor in the work of the Gospel unto the end of the world for Christ himself appointed wages for his Apostles and Ministers and this not of charity or Alms at mens pleasure whether they will pay or not but of due debt for their labor When he sent them to preach the Gospel he gave them direction to expect wages and maintenance from them to whom he sends them Provide saith he neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses neither scrip for your journey neither two coats neither shooes nor yet staves for the workman is worthy of his meat Mat. 10. Mat. 10.11 and Luk. 10.7 for the laborer is worthy of his hire or reward it is due to him and the people to whom he preacheth the Gospel are bound by the Law of God and Nature to pay him for his labor And hence the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 9.14 Christ hath ordained that those that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel of their due reward and maintenance for their labor in preaching the Gospel And the Elders that tule well saith the Apostle are worthy of double honor 1 Tim. 5.17 18. especially they that labor in the word and doctrine And he gives the reason from the Law of God and Nature For the Scripture saith thou shalt not mussel the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward Therefore maintenance of Ministers was not Levitical but Moral as wages and reward for their labor as all other mens labor is and will be to the end of the world But doth not our Savior say Objection Freely you have received freely give what wages then can Christs Ministers require I answer read that Text Matth. 10.8 Answer Christ gave them a miraculous power to heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead and to cast out Devils and to this he adds freely ye have received freely give But for preaching of the Gospel he doth not say so for he directs them to receive meat drink and wages as if you compare those Scriptures Mat. 10. and Luk. 10. you may see the Apostles of Christ then might and the Ministers of Christ may lawfully expect and require Gods reward or wages for their labor in preaching of the Gospel and that was the Tenths as we have proved already they may lawfully look every man for his just gain from his quarter Fourthly Judicial were the Givil laws of the Jews Lev. 17.30 c. Tythes holy to the Lord. The Tythes which were given to Levi for his service were not Levitical ceremonial nor typical nor Judicial which were the Jews Civil Laws whatsoever the Quakers or Anabaptists or any other have dreamed to the contrary no holy things are Judicial but Tythes were holy things and Tythes were not shadows and figures of holy things not ceremonies to be abolished by Christ but the Lords own portion declared to be Gods part in every mans estate long before Levi or the Levitical Law was instituted though given to the Levites by Gods appointment for their service during the life of that Priesthood and Gods part still Christ's inheritance and the inheritance of his Ministers to the worlds end for there is a morality in them and they are Gods part for which he will call men to a reckoning at the great day of Judgement when all the sacrilegious wretches in the world shall tremble except God in time give them to see their sin and repent For although Levi's Priesthood be dead Heb. 7. yet Christ liveth who receiveth Tythes as the Apostle witnesses and Christ's Ministers live and receive Tythe not by any right from Levi or Aaron's Priesthood but from Christ who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec That Tythes were ceremonial was an opinion devised by Alexander de Hales an Englishman Dr. Carleton in his Tythes examined and divine right proved fol. 20 who lived about twelve hundred years after Christ as that learned Dr. Carleton well observes and this indeed to please the Pope that he might better appropriate Tythes to his Monasteries his Abbots Monks and Fryars as after we shall touch A ceremony is well described to be a carnal type of a holy thing which for the service of the Tabernacle was enjoyned only until the time of Reformation as the Apostle Heb. 9.10 holds them forth unto us but Tythes are no such ceremonies they have a morality in them and whatsoever arguments may be brought against the morality and perpetuity of Tythes the same may be brought against the morality and continuance of the Sabath or Lords Day as that learned acute and solid Dr. Sclater in his sevenfold parallel of Arguments against the morality of Tything Dr. Sclater in his Qâ—estion of Tythâ—s revâ—sâ—â— and proved moral pag. 224 A book I never read till I had almost ended the Answer of this Question and the morality of the Sabbath or Lords Day doth manifest These opinions that Tythes and Sabbath are ceremonial have run parallel in the hands of those who would destroy both the time and maintenance of the Worship and service of God in the Gospel as if since Christ there was no Lords Day to be kept holy as a time appointed in special for the glorifying of God and good of poor souls And as if there were no maintenance due to Christ's Ministers since Christ's ascension into Heaven an opinion well agreeing to the prophane Atheists of the world who like those fools in the Psalm say in their hearts there is no God Psa 14.1 and those high conceited Familists and quaking spirits who boast their are equal with God or those who deny the souls immortality or dream that it dieth with the body or is turned into they know not what But one day they shall be awakened when the trumpet shall sound and the voyce of the Arch-angel shall cry out Arise yet dead and come to Judgement And then they will find that there is a God that is greater then they that he hath appointed a Sabbath or rest day the Lords Day for his special service and appointed Maintenance for his Ministers yea that their souls are immortal and the Lord Jesus is Judge of quick and dead The Lord open their eyes in time to see their errors and repent if it be his blessed will and pleasure And thus I have sufficiently answered that Objection Where there is a change of the Priesthood there
must be a change of the Law We grant a change of Levi's Priesthood and of Levi's Law and yet the Law of Tythes as maintenance for Christ's Ministers remains still not from Levi but Christ who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec and ever liveth to take Tythes though not in his own person yet as he or God his Father did before Christ's coming in the flesh by his Ministers and Servants whom he hath ordained to teach his people Sir J Sempil in his Sacriledge S. handled in which he proves the Divine right of Tythes Hebr. 7. I shall conclude the evidence of this Answer to this Objection against the continuance of Tythes in the Gospel with a few Syllogisms of that worthy learned and religious Knight Sir James Sempil in his Sacriledge sacredly handled and Tythes proved due by Divine right 1. He that takes Tythes and liveth is a perpetual Priesthood Melchisedec taketh Tythes and liveth Ergo Melchisedec is a perpetual Priest 2 Whatsoever is spoken here viz. Heb. 7. of Melchisedec typically is transferred unto Christ's verity But Tything is spoken of Melchisedec typically Therefore Tythes must be transferred unto Christ's verity 3. Whatsoever is due to an eternal Priest is perpetually due Tythes were and are due to Melchisedec an eternal Priest viz. in himself the Type or in Christ the verity signified Therefore Tythes are perpetually due to Melchisedec or to Christ who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec 4. Whatsoever was given as maintenance of both the Melchisedecian and Levitical Priesthood must be also the maintenance of the Evangelical But Tythes were given as maintenance of both the Melchisedecian and Levitical Priesthood Ergo. Tythes must be also the maintenance of the Evangelical Priesthood These Syllogisms are well fortified by Sir James Sempil himself against all pretended Objections so as what hath been said might satisfie a Quaker himself if he would be satisfied But yet another Objection is made by some Anabaptists Object and these quaking adversaries John Cann his second Voyce from the Temple of Babylon or Baal p. 13 14. and their confederates or rather a false accusation damning Tythes as Popish and the pleading for them a pleading for Babilon and for Baal Thus doth John Cann in his Second voyce from the Temple of Babilon And that Pope Gregory the tenth was the first that ordained Tythes to be paid to the Priests in the year 1214. And that with much mistaken ignorance and impudence as learned A Gospel plea by W. Prynn or Swainsw Esq godly and laborious Mr. William Vrynn observes in that excellent Gospel plea for Ministers maintenance proving the antient setled maintenance of â—ythes due by Divine Right and contrary to these malevolent Quakers or Anabaptists who would perswade men that Tythes are no older or not so old as Antichrist and to be abolished as Antichristian But for answer Answer let us reason the case with them a while If they had that light within them which they boast of they might see that Tythes are far more antient then Antichrist even as old as Melchisedec and faithful Abraham the father of the faithful many hundred years before the Levitical Law and above two thousand and five hundred years before that Romish Antichrist had lift up his head in the Church Let us enquire into the History of the Church and antient writers since Christ and we shall finde Tythes to be Christian divers hundred years before Pope Boniface who was the first that took upon him the name of Universal Bishop and the chair of Antichrist at Rome was born First If we examine the Apostles time Act. 4.34 35. and times immediately after there was a community of goods as we proved before the converted Christians sold their lands and brought the money to the Apostles and then no need nor indeed power of paying Tythes in the Christian Jewish Church the Tythes being paid to the Priests amongst the Jews whiles their Synagogues and Priesthood lasted as before you heard and for the Gentiles converted in those times there was such persecution that it was best for the Ministers of Christ to live upon the common Treasury among Saints Tertul. Apol cap 3â— He lived about 200 years after Christ Euseb eccl hist lib. 2. cap 47. This community did continue until Tertullian's time about two hundred years after Christ All things are common with us saith Tertullian praeter uxores except our Wives yet this community was chiefly at Jerusalem and at Alexandria in Egypt and at Carthage in Africa where Tertullian lived and some other places where persecution was And then in the private meetings of Christians each one give in to the common Treasury what they had laid by them in store for the maintenance of the Saints 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Act. 24.17 Rom. 15.26 27. 2 Cor. 11.9 as St. Paul directed 1 Cor. 16.1 2. This Paul brought from the Gentiles to the Jews and without question the Apostle Paul had his part for he himself testifieth that the Brethren which came from Macedonia supplied his want and others also were supplied out of the common treasury Thus for those times of danger and persecution as it was in the Apostles days few in comparison of the multitude being converted and the Emperors being no Christians The beginning of petsecution we read Acts 7. and Acts 12 c. Herod c. After Emperor Nero. First of ten persecuting Emperors c. Eusebius Eccles Hist lib 2. cap. 25. l. 3. c 1. Tertull. Apol c 1. Marsilius Patavinus Defen pacis per. 2. c. 15. but pesecutors it was sufficient they had their lives for a prey and yet often times these also were taken away by cruel tormentors as the histories of the Church doth witness at full And then it was no time to demand or receive Tythes of the people but to live of the common Treasury and of lands and rents of lands and other gifts given to the church for maintenance of Saints and the Ministers of Christ who did preach the Gospel unto them as God stirred up beleivers hearts to give them out of conscience that they were bound to maintain the Ministers of Christ and that those who preached the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.14 as the Apostle Paul witnessed it was the Ordinance of Christ But when community of goods was ended at least in that manner as it was used in the primitive times And when the Church had more quiet rest from persecution and the Ministers of Christ were setled in particular cities and places certain to abide as Pastors and Teachers over particular congregations then we read Lands and Tythes setled and given to the Church not as out of Frankalmoign or Free alms but as Gods due right and the maintenance of the Ministers of Christ who did labor in the Word and Doctrine The Glebe-lands and Tythes were part of that double honor which S. Paul witnesseth the