to separate betweene the precious and the vile and bemore faithful in their trust and then God will teach men to be more forward to pay them their due and to allow them at least competencies if they be not convinced of this truth of the Divine Right of paying of tythes which I wish were more searched into as all truths ought to be without partiality Object Object But it will be an act of injustice to take away from men that which is their proper right by the ancient Lawes of men and which men have bought and paid for and to give it to such as have no right thereunto whose it never was in any ones opinion for indeed if tythes be not the Lords as hath formerly beene shewed they are they must needs be theirs whom Law and possession hath setled them upon Now to take tythes from them that claim them receive them as their right by Law which determines propriety without allowing a valuable consideration may seeme to be great iniquity Sol. Sol. To which I answer that if to withhold goods from the owner be a sin and forbidden as it is in the Word of God then it can be no sinne in the Magistrate to judge the restoring of them to the rightful owner and to turne the streame into its proper channel The case is the same touching tythes whether you look upon them as due by the Moral Law to Ministers or as devoted in the elder times of the gospel-Gospel-Church though for my part I rather believe the former but we will not make more questions then need to divide the worshippers of God The scope of this Tract being to evince the duty of this present Power to take tythes away as now they are payable and to put people into a capacity of doing their duty Object Object But if the Lawes of men do not compel persons to do their duty they will be reâ—â—isse and negligent c. Sol. Sol. To which I answer The Churches are to take cognisance of miscarriages in their proper and peculiar members and they have not the power of the Keyes committed to them in vaine it is not sword work either Military or Civil to force peoples consciences but the work of the Spirits sword as hath formerly beene hinted Quest Quest But what course then shall be taken to provide for such as are to instruct the world Answ Answ I answer Churches may send out members and the State if they see it fit may out of Gleeb-lands so called or other devoted Revenues or by Taxes and Rates allow such or any others whom they shall judge meet for that work of preaching whether Church-officers or others a convenient stipend or pay provided that Church-members be not robbed of that which they are carrying to the Lord as his portion by his owne appointment and ordinance There may be many wayes thought upon to furnish the Nation with able godly Teachers and Preachers either fixed or itinerary which may be authorized and maintained in this excellent needful imployment if they be not Church-officers and if they be Church-officers then care is taken for them already by the Ordinance of God as hath beene shewed and indeed such only are fit unlesse in case of extreme necessity for that work of publike preaching and it will tend much to the making of peace among Professors of Religion and it is very suitable to the ancient practice of the Church in the times after the Apostles Athanasius against the Messalians writeth that there were diverse Bishops in some one Church though not in that of Alexandria And D. Sutliffe de pont lib. 1. chap. 5. saith that Paul towne by towne appointed Presbyters and Bishops And Epiphanius cont haeres lib. 2. haeres 27. And Eusebius also in his Ecclesiastical story reckons both Peter and Paul for Bishops at Rome both at one time But I lay not much weight on these things Only to shew you that if in one particular Church there be divers Ministers Bishops Presbyters Elders call them by which of these names you will there may be a sparing of some of them by course to instruct the world and yet they may be ready also to preserve good order in the particular Churches to whom they do belong and to propagate the Ordination for the perpetuity of Churches respectively others to succeed them from time to time upon the election of the members of each Church of fit men so to be presented to them to receive Ordination And as Calvin lib. 4. cap. 3. sect 8 15. lib. 4. cap. 4. sect 1. affirmeth that from among the company of the Presbyters some were chosen to be Pastours and Teachers and the rest were Overseers and Censurers of the behaviours of the people so why may not these by course or some of them be chosen to preach and teach abroad and receive their livelihood from the Churches to whom they do belong out of the tythes paid in to them by the members and due unto them as Ministers of those Churches For I would not have you think that one man should scrape hundreds together from the Church as some Parsons so called now do but that tythes should be brought into Gods store-house as we read they were commanded to be Mal. 3.1 and so imployed to the service of God in maintaining Ministers and Church-officers But I am sensible of the running of my Pen. I therefore returne to the Answer to the Question viz. that men of small reach may easily finde out wayes for instructing the world that do not submit to any Church Bishops or Ministers of old had the care of both Cities in which they lived and Countries adjoyning and besides Church-members and others live promiscuously together in most places if they do not care may be taken without so much ado for teaching and instructing all Whole Cities or townes were not Churches in ancient time neither ought they to be so now We read of the Church of Smyrna one of the seven Churches of Asia where Polycarpus was Pastor as soone as he was knowne to be a Christian was martyred by the rage of the multitude and that as Eusebius Eccles hist lib. 4. cap. 15. recordeth in the sight of his owne people The whole Cities there were not Churches if they had been how could the Church of Smyrna writing to other Churches of the foresaid martyrdome entitle her selfe the Church of God which is at Smyrna And yet I will not deny but there might be some few here there in the town and hamlets thereabout which belonged to the Churches in the greater towns and cities but not as now where Tavistock town is one thing and Tavistock parish another because it is supposed all that are within the precincts of the parish must needs be members of the Church there and so hath it beene accounted formerly but I must confesse without fear it is otherwise now And why may it not be so in other places I teach all in
A Discourse OF PAYING OF TITHES By T.L. M.A. Pastour of the Church of Christ at Tavistock in Devon Together with an APPENDIX by way of Apology for the seasonableness thereof LONDON Printed by T.R. E. M. and are to be sold by Francis Eglesfield at the signe of the Marygold in Pauls Church-yard 1656. TO HIS Highness THE Lord PROTECTOUR OF The Common-wealth of ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND May it please your HIGHNESSE THAT Gods Holy Morall Law may be duly observed Christian Liberty not encroached upon the inward Man commanded by Trueth and Toleration tolerable be tolerated is the designe of this short ensuing discourse It had its conception many Moneths ago and was intended for the late Supream Authority of this Common-wealth of England but now it casts it self before your Highness whom God hath raised up and into whose hands power and opportunities are put to bring great designes into action This is your day to honour him eminently by whom Kings Reign and Princes decree judgement The brood of Travellours returned Exlies must be served too for Christ's sake who is their Lord and yours That it is a piece of your work to take away Snares that have been spread in the way of Saints and yet ly unremoved I humbly suppose you know much better than I can tell These Lines rightly understood refin'd and observed may be a Cloud like a Mans hand for further fruitful Rain that your day may not slip to you or slide too fast for us is the prayer of your Highness humble servant THOMAS LARKHAM CHAP. I. Containeth the Preface or Introduction IT is and hath been often in my thoughts to communicate mine Apprehensions touching that Ball of Contention and rock of offence and snare to tender Consciences the payment of Tithes as now they are payable and required by Law of the Inhabitants of Towns and Villages within this Common-wealth This is looked upon by some as a very great burden to the people of these Nations and not only so but as a great Let to the People of God whereby they are kept from or disabled in the doing of their dutie to them that teach them in the Word and in doing good to all especially to the Houshold of Faith as Stewards of what the Lord hath entrusted them with especially as some hold of the Tenth of their Estate judged to be the Lords portion by a moral Law though not primarily as neither is the Law of a seventh dayes Sabbath Now say many when men are enforced to pay Tithes to Nobles Gentlemen Colledges or such Ministers as are thrust upon them by corrupt Patrons or otherwise and whom they cannot look upon as their Pastours sent of God and set over them regularly hereby they are put out of their way and the Lords portion goeth not the right way but is diverted out of its proper chanel in the judgment of such as hold Tithes due by divine Right which are not inconsiderable either for number judgment and learning or piety And say others otherwise judgemented it is a burden which we hoped the shedding of so much blood and expending such summes of money would long before now have freed us from but we are as we were alas an old penny for a new and scarce that Now I shall humbly propose a few considerations in order to the removal of these inconveniences and for direction or advice to the giving of content to all considerable Complainants being for my part one of them that do judge the Tenth part of Estate and Seventh of time to be holy to the Lord And that those confusions which Antichrist his followers have brought upon the face of the Christian World may be taken away and Gospel-worship be ordered in moral duties thereunto belonging according to the will and mind of God and our Father whose rules we ought to walk by in all observance both to him and our neighbours And if this be a trueth which I know no learned Man to doubt of that the subject matter of Church-admonitions and Proceedings is Bonum malum rectum iniquum pium impium that is to say Good to be observed and evil to be avoided why should not Christs own way be walked in for the effecting of these things in his Church and the particular Congregations thereof throughout the Common-wealth And if it be a sin even for Magistrates and Sword-men Vzzah-like to cart the Ark of God and pretend to keep it from falling without call and rule how much more to protect sacriledge and countenance Antichristian disorders or at least as others that are not of my mindhold to continue to force the People of God to pay Tithes unto them that may as well by a civil Law require Bullocks Goats and Lambes c. for sacrifices or instead thereof or any such thing of Religious off-spring from Christians Jewes or Heathens We find in the stories of the Church that this wicked practice of diverting Tithes out of their due course was first practised by Romane Popes when they were come to that incorrigible pride and liberty to do all things as they pleased Then began they by all oppressing power to grant first exemptions and afterward impropriations transferring Tithes from one to another And so in processe of time when althings were ready merchandise for them that brought most no marvel that the portion of the Lord which was to be payd by divine Rule to Church-officers in their particular Congregations and disposed of by them in relation to the particular charges were taken from them as now they are kept from them and either bestowed upon the Popes kinsmen the lazy Monkes or else some such as could make best friends with any of the Popes creatures were exempted from paying any thing at all And upon the dissolution of those irreligious houses you cannot be ignorant how many filled their Mawes and rode up to the very Horse bridles into those spoils when those dens of theeves were routed Now because the Lords portion seized upon as I said before lay among the devoted things all was taken together and made good prize And because 't was so it must be so or else say our wise Men Children of these Ancestours Purchasers of these Tithes will be wronged if they may not enjoy that which they or their Fathers purchased But in other things they have a proverb Caveat Emptor and a man may seize on his stollen Horse wheresoever he find it and sometimes an honest mao may be in danger of his life for buying it though meaning no harm Why then should not the Lords portion berescued and restored to him And yet other things I shall briefly lay down in order to the making this good That Tithes as now payd are sinfully exacted and received and that the payment of them this way is injurious burthensome sacreligious or at least an hinderance to the performance of Christian dutie according to Gods Law CHAP. II. The main argument is taken from referring
all or the most that truly fear and love God And notwithstanding what by the perfidious and treacherous dealing of some particular persons that have beene employed about great works in our dayes who like Absolon or Achitophel to David or like Shemaiah to Nehemiah or Judas to Christ have proved false and what by discouragements of the honest party and disappointments of expectations in the losse of fair opportunities which we in England are not strangers unto And what by over-acting of others before dispensation to each particular gave the call And what by conjunction with such as have not beene reall hearted to the cause of God this truth and some others seeme to be slaine with the two witnesses for a time yet I am perswaded it will not be long before God will returne to his work that hath beene of late upon the wheele and either make some to remember themselves and do their first work or lay them aside that peoples eyes may be removed from instruments to himself and casheere them that have casheered themselves out of their imployments for God and his people and of stones raise up children to Abraham and bringers to passe of his minde and will for the setting up of Christian worship and throwing downe that carnal Ministery which is chiefly kept up by this irregular paying of tythes in this Nation to such as Gods people can see no mark of or call from God upon The result of all is clearly this that if great men will not meaner men shall Christ was borne of meane parentage came out of Galilee which could not but be a cloud over him and a great trial to the faith of the godly who were told that he was to come out of Bethlehem If professed Ministers out of fear distrust of God will give an uncertain sound tradesmen fishermen tentmakers blew-apron-men shall speak plainer I say if these with the Scribes Pharisees should be silent or enemies rather the stones shall cry out The little stone hewed out of the mountain without hands will throw down all that belongs to the fourth beast in either shape or forme We were wont to say in the times of the Prelacy that Homilies and the Service-Book were the two legges of a dumb Ministery in England Consider I pray you whether the compelling of payment of Tythes now as they are paid be not of great use for the continuance of a formal artificial outside carnal Ministery in this Nation But methinks I hear some say the Ordinance whereby Commissioners are appointed for the approbation of publik Preachers together with that whereby diverse are appointed for the ejection of scandalous and insufficient Ministers being duly and carefully executed will quickly make a riddance of many that are now imployed and so the last discourse before-going will be uselesse I acknowledge there is very much in those two Ordinances had we such spirited men as those actings call for which are in them required And were that way the way of Christ so clearly to all as perhaps it may be to some But the declared dissents and discontents of a very religious party do seeme to say something is wanting Besides raine to lay corne that should be cut downe is out of season And Barbers that cut off the haire and let the head alone that should rather be so used are insufficient to be executioners Consider what I say There is further this one thing generally complained of for I hear many things more then many that can do much more good then I can if they would that this tends very little in many places to the propagation of the Gospel or saving of souls For as a great man in the Ministery said in publike that he knew not which was the best death poisoning or starving so say many if such vacant places were filled with godly experienced Saints apt to teach 't were something but ancient men are found scandalous and so ejected and youths that will be any thing for a quiet life are found to be made use of or none at all to my knowledge Patrons and young men can agree about Livings and the Commissioners for Approbation never hear of either the Patron or his Clerk Blessed be God that hath so farre put it into the heart of those that have power to prepare Christs way before him as to do so much as hath beene done in this perverse froward and untoward Nation yet it is humbly conceived that notwithstanding the multiplied sentences of death upon Church work yet grace and mercy that are by dark dispensations usually ushered in are wrapped up and a coming all this while I wish none of my Brethren-would give way to envious grudgings against the persons of such as are now in power but rather pray for them which I am sure of they more stand in need of then give cause of envie And for them my prayer is that they will cast downe that foul Idol Discretion falsely so called My meaning is that they would not be too much given to fears and forecastings as Jonah was whereby he was put out of Gods way To make an end of my Appendix My hope is that the time is not far off in which truths will be better seene and agreed upon by and among the Saints As for fond Familists Quakers Ranters and such kinde of poore seduced be witched souls let them be looked upon with pitie as we are Saints and dealt withall by Magistrates as Gods Word doth warrant For my part I know no odds now betweene the power of our Governours and the Kings of Israel and Judah 'T is true their Kings were typical and their Land Sacramental but their power within Church and without was the same that now it is concerning both the Tables of the Morall Law But I finde not that they that ruled well did meddle with matters of Church cognisance purely so otherwise then to protect the Priests and Levites and people of God and punish evil-doers Ye cannot be ignorant of the ground of that catching question moved to our Lord Jesus Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar If it had not beene Gods it had scarce beene worth the answering If one should aske of me Is it lawfull to pay Tythes to my Lord or Master such a one I have learned of my Lord and Master to answer Give and unto God the things that are Gods If Magistrates will not or cannot though they would redeeme or rescue the Lords portion out of the hands of the spoyler and sacrilegious Tenant and make way for the Saints observance of this Moral duty of giving God his due with more ease and disburden their consciences that are vexed for not sinning against it which yet may be their ignorance I say if this cannot be yet for I acknowledge many clouds of darknesse are about this truth which I hope the Sunne of righteousnesse will shortly dispel yet deride not slight not my counsel let the Sabbath day Ordinances whereof