That therefore tithes should be ceremonial the consequence houldeth not no not so much as to proue the Leuiticall assignation ceremoniall It proueth that assignation onely temporary not perpetuall For it is to last no longer then the seruice of the Leuites This is all that can be truely inferred Another obiection is thus That thing is onely pertayning to the law of nature whose bond and duety may bee determined by naturall reason but naturall reason doth not determine numbers for there can no naturall reason bee brought why rather the tenth part then more or lesse should bee payed Wee answere by distinguishing both lawes naturall and morall If wee vnderstand the law of nature to reach as farre as the morall law in his largest sence as Abulensis vnderstandeth it then tithes belong to the law of nature euen as doth the sanctifieng of a seauenth day to God and naturall reason doth aswel determine the tenth in number as the seauenth in number And because Abulensis taketh naturall in this sence for in Leuit. cap. 1. qu. 1. he saith Moralia praecepta naturalia sunt therefore in answering whensoeuer I admit tithes to belong to the law of nature I would bee vnderstood to speake in this sence But if wee take the law of nature for that which floweth from naturall principles and is manifested to the naturall man by naturall meanes so wee graunt tithes not naturall We may also distinguish things morall for either they are morall by diuine institution or by nature things morall by nature are those that belong to the law of nature in which sence the morall law and naturall law is all one But morall by institution are all things beelonging to the true worship of God which things as they come not from the principles of nature so they are not knowen to the naturall man Among these things are a sanctifieng of a seauenth day by God and sanctifieng of tithes to God which things are morall by diuine institution and so naturall by a secondarie declaration after and vpon the law of nature and in that sence reduced to the law of nature as all things that are reueiled in the true worship of God being morall not by nature but by diuine institution Another obiection is If it were morall then must it remaine as it then stood but then it stood so as to bee payed to the Leuits not to the Priests therefore it should not now bee payed to the Priests yet now it is payed to the Priests wee aunswere this is a fallacy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ambiguitie is in this word Priest They are not now giuen to such Priests as then were but they are now giuen to the labouring ministers who albeit in the time of Abulensis were commonly called priests and the word being vnderstood aright may iustly be so called yet in truth they answere not to the Priests of the old Testaments but to the Leuites as we haue shewed Againe we haue proued out of Lyra and Hierom that euen then also they were giuen to the Priests An other obiection is tithes were the Leuites right for their seruice but there was no more reason to giue tithes to Leuites then to Priests this is answered it resteth vpon those grounds that no tithes were then giuen to Priests which is vntrue and that tithes were assigned to the Leuites which speaketh onely of the assignation and not of the generall ordinance Another obiection is the seruice of the Leuites was a greater thing then that which was giuen for their seruice but the seruice it selfe ceaseth therefore all the Leuites right ought to cease we answere we admit the conclusion All the Leuites right ceaseth that is that Leuiticall assignation but the perpetuall ordinance of tithes as it was before Leuy can not be taken away by the particular assignation Another obiection he frameth thus If it were naturall then it could not bee changed nor altered by any dispensation wee answere hoc illud est This is the great obiection that carried Abulensis and all the rest to deuise these quirks and subtilties against tithes wee can easily answere that the Popes dispensation heerein was vnlawfull and impious but all meanes must bee attempted that mans wit can deuise beefore the Popes high crowne bee touched This is the obiecton which onely was thought vnanswerable all the rest are but brought to fill vp a number as doing their seruice to this now this reason is with vs of no strength what accompt soeuer the Papists make of it and euen among them there are diuerse which doubt not but that the Pope doth dispense with some things euen against the law of nature as appeareth by those cases which are called casus Papales which are drawen also into verses beginning thus Si sit Catholicus papam non iudicat vllus Wherein it is said that hee hath power to dispense in exemptions and periurie to dispense with that which is cursed anathemate to dispense against all the rules and canons of the Church to dispense with that sinne which is greater then adultery and such like and therefore no maruaile if he dispensed against the right of tithes And these are the great reasons that Abulensis bringeth against this question Bellarmine bringeth but one argument and that to proue tithes not ceremonial but iudicial he saith tithes are not ceremoniall but iudiciall nam non ordinantur immediatè ad colendum deum sed ad aequitatem inter homines but how doth he proue this for faith he God commanded tithes should bee payed to Leuy because Leuy was the tenth part of Israell that there might be a proportion betweene their estate and the rest we answere this reason for paying tithes is found in no Scripture but in Bellarmines idle conceipt who afterward misliking it ouerthroweth it and findeth Leuy to be the twelft part of Israell Againe if this were a reason to pay tithes then ought not tithes to haue beene payed before the law for this reason had no place when Abraham and Iacob payed tithes farther the reasons that are in the Scripture doe ouerthrow this reason for God assigneth tithes to Leuy out of his owne proper right beecause all tithes are the Lords Leuit. 27. If the Lord before and in the law had right to all tithes then this true reason both taketh away Bellarmins false reason and proueth that false which Bellarmine saith tithes had no immediate ordination to the worship of God Last of all if this reason conclude any thing against vs that tithes are not morall because they haue no immediate ordination to the worship of God by the same reason it holdeth likewise against all maintenance of ministers yet they who denie vs tithes graunt that some maintenance is due and part of the morall law Now looke what ordination the maintenance which they yeeld vs hath to the worship of God the same we proue of tithes but Bellarmine saith asmuch for vs as wee can desire certum est saith
yeald without better proofes then we haue yet seene this is so far from crossing the right of tithes that rather it confirmeth all more fully for if Abraham gaue tithes of the spoyles much more then of his owne goods the whole course of the Apostle his speach proueth no lesse for how can any mans conceit be satisfied with the tithes of the spoyles onely considering the Apostle speaketh so much of Abraham his paying tithes insisting so long in it drawing an argument of such weight from it he whose kindred is not counted among them receiued tithes of Abraham ver 6. heere men that die receiue tithes but ther he receiueth them of whom c. ver 8. Leuy also which receiueth tithes payed tithes in Abraham ver 9. If there were no other tithes giuen by Abraham to Melchisedech but of those spoyles onely why is this compared with Liuiticall tithes which were payed yeerely would the Apostle vse this manner of speech of one onely action vnlesse it shewed the common vse and practise how tithes were then payed to the priest as by common vse and practise they were afterward payed to the Lenites By this then it appeareth out of the story of Melchisedech that tithes were and are to be payed to Christ alwayes aswell after as before the law Let vs consider the next testimony we finde in storie before the law the next is Gen. 28. where Iacob voweth to pay tithes of all that God will giue him the wordes are these Then Iacob vowed a vow saying If God will keepe me in this iourney which I goe and will giue mee bread to eate and clothes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God And this stone which I haue set vp as a piller shall be Gods house and of all that which thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth to thee Out of these words it appeareth that it was the generall opinion of the godly before the law giuen that tithes ought to be giuen to God for otherwise Iacob did offend vnlesse he knew that this thing pleased God as being appointed by him But because Abulensis out of this place would proue tithes not to belong to the law of nature that matter would be examined his reason is because Iacob vowed tithes now a vow saith hee is not of those things which belong to the law of nature But Abulensis himselfe perceiuing that this proposition is not true generally frameth an obiection against himselfe that by remouing the obiection be might the better settle that which he taketh to be the truth his obiection is that a man may vow that which belongeth to the law of nature as not to commit adultry which obiection he answereth thus a man may not vow such things with condition but absolutely Now saith he Iacob vowed tithes with condition therefore they are not such things as are contained in the law of nature Bellarmins words are much more peremptorie impium fuisset vouere decimas si absoluté fuisset obligatus eas soluere These words indeed being examined by the popish doctrine of vowes may stand as a glos fit enough for a corrupt text but being axamined by the truth of God they shall finde no place to stand in First where Abulensis saith a man may not vow a thing belonging to the law of nature conditionally it appeareth to be false because as himselfe yeeldeth a man may vow not to commit adultery so he must yeeld that a man may likewise vow to honour his parents if God will prolong their liues this is conditionall and no lesse lawfull then the other and he that maketh it can keepe it onely conditionally so long as God will suffer his parents to liue if they dye he is freed from the possibilitie of performing his vow so he that voweth tithes can vow them no other way but conditionally if God will blesse him with goods as Iacob doth for it he haue nothing he is freed from the possibilitie of performing his vow Other obiections of Abulensis shall be answered in their place Though the obiection be answeared yet somewhat may happely stick in the minde of the reader and we as seeking a truth would cast all obiections without fauouring for I protest I haue so captiued my sences to the truth that against the knowen truth I dare not stirre therefore I will freely open what I can To that obiection that no morall thing may be vowed because we are bound without a vow to performe such things this answere may stand that albeit we be bound without a vow to such things yet it is lawfull to vow them that we may be stirred vp with more exact care and zeale to such duties as not onely God hath bound vs but we also binde our selues Now that it is lawfull to binde our selues to those duties whereto God bindeth vs it appeareth by the commended practise of the godly at all times The people were bound to serue the Lord in the time of Asa no lesse then at other times yet they made a couenant and sware to serue the Lord 2. Chron. 15. 12. 14. Dauid was bound without an oath or vow to keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord yet he bound himselfe by an oath I haue sworne and will performe it to keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal. 119. 106. And whereas Dauid speaketh so often of paying his vowes vnto the Lord the thing vowed and to be payed is morall Psal. 50. 14. Offer to God praise and pay thy vowes to the most high Psal. 56. 12. Thy vowes are vpon mee O God I will render praise to thee for thou hast deliuered my soul from death c. And albeit things ceremoniall might be vowed vnder the law yet no otherwise but as they drew to some morall duetie And therefore when the people in vowing things ceremoniall did so stick in the ceremonie that they looked no farther then are such vowes reproued and they are taught that the vowes which please God are obedience a contrite heart and such like This which I haue said will answere another obiection If tithes were alwaies the Lordes wee cannot vow them for a vow must bee of a thing that is ours Iacob then vowing tithes sheweth that they were not alwaies the Lords the answere is plaine out of that which hath bene said It is lawfull to vow vnto the Lord that which is not ours but his For what thing is more the Lords and lesse ours then our obedience yet we vow it binding our selues by a new promise to that whereunto the Lord hath bound vs by dutie And therfore as Dauid did vow to performe that obedience to God which otherwise he was bound to doe without a vow so Iacob doth heere vow to pay tithes though tithes be the Lords right when this obedience commeth from a willing minde it is acceptable now a vow serueth to shew a resolued and willing minde Hauing done
with the obiections against this place let vs gather hence such obseruations as may confirme our purpose First it is euident hence that Iacob did not account tithes any part of the iudicials because no part of the iudicials were to be offered in a vow to the Lord but eyther things morall were vowed or ceremoniall as they lead men to morall obedience The reason is vowes were a part of Gods seruice and iudicials belonged not to the seruice of God but were of things common and for the ciuill gouernment of men Secondly it must be considered that the thing wherein Iacobs vow standeth principally is in these words this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shall be Gods house Some interpretours take this to be the place where Abraham offered Isaac Lyra saith that all interpretours take it generally for that place where Ierusalem stood afterward Iacob saying it should be the house of God signifieth it should be as a temple where God should be worshipped now vnto the house of God he ioyneth tithes Thirdly if therefore the question be mooued in what sort these tithes were payed which are heere vowed whether as things giuen immediately to God as were sacrifices or vowed to God that is to the priest of the most high God I would gladly learne of other in such questions but in the meane time vntill I can learne a better answere I thinke it best to vnderstand the manner of Iacobs paying tithes by the practise of his grandfather Abraham who payed them to the priest of the most high God And therefore Iacob after that example vowing to pay tithes may best be vnderstood to pay them to the priest Thus far hauing spoken of the time before the law so far foorth as scipture speaketh of tithes before we come to the time vnder the law let vs consider how heathen men hauing not the knowledge of the law of God but onely directed by a glimps of the light of nature did iudge that tithes were to be payed to such gods as they worshipped wherein howsoeuer they were corrupt yet in that corruption may be seene some sparks of the light of nature before the law I will not bring all but onely of many testimonies will shew a fevv wherby a man may iudge of the rest and vnderstand how this question hath beene conceiued euen among the heathen Cyrus king of Persia when he had ouercome the Lydians offered the tithes of all to Iupiter Among the Romans the custome was ancient of offering tithes to their gods Camillus vowed tithes to the goddesse called Mater Matuta in case hee should ouercome the Ueians After the victory in low of the tenth a cup of Gold was sent to Delphi weighing eight talents as Plutarch witnesseth in the same place It is reported of Lucullus that hee grevv rich because he obserued the vse of paying tithes to Hercules For that this was an ancient custome among the Romanes Macrobius proueth out of Varro who writeth that it was the common custome among the anucients vouere decimam Herculi Diodorus Siculus opening the reason of that custome saith that when Hercules was friendly entertained by Potitius Pinarius he promised a happie life to such as should offer him the tithes of all their goods which practise he saith remained in Rome till his time multi enim Romanorum non solū medio cui sensu sed qui ditissimi suat habiti decimas Herculi vouerunt posteaque fortunatio res facti bona sua ad quatuor talentorum millia Herculi sacrarunt In which place hee reporteth the same of Lucullus which after him Plutarch obserued Xenophon witnesseth that others vsed to pay tithes to Apollo Neither was this thing obserued onely among the ciuill nations but euen so far as the sence of manhoode reached it was spread also among the barbarous people Plinie writing of the Sabaeans and Aethiopians saith that in the spices which those countries yeeld abundantly the marchants may not meddle with any before the Priests haue laid out the tenth to their gods And which one generall testimony may stand in place of many particulars Festus saith Decima quaeque veteres dijs suis offerebant Which vse being so generall among all nations doth shew that euen from Noah it was dispersed among all people though much corrupt in them yet bearing in it selfe euident signes that it came from the incorrupt light of nature before the law giuen For what other reason can be giuen why such an apparant resemblance of Gods truth should bee kept and dispersed so far among all nations And heereupon I take it Franciscus Iunius departing from the iudgement of other learned men whom otherwise he reuerenceth vvas moued to say thus much decimae iure omni post hominum memoriam deo fuerunt sacrae What is that iure omni but aswell vvritten in the consciences of naturall men fortified by priuiledges of princes as expressely declared in the word of God Thus hauing declared so far as wee can learne how tithes stood before the law let vs consider the same in the time of the law CHAP. III. How tithes stood vnder the Law Where it is prooued that then this constitution of Tithes was neither ceremoniall nor iudiciall but morall THis being first out of controuersie that during all that time between the law first giuen and last abrogated tithes were to be payed to the Leuits by the commandement of God the first question may bee whether tithes had their first institution and beginning in the law Wee aunswere shortly tithes were not first instituted in the lavv but long before euen from the beginning What then was instituted in the lavv all that vvhich concerning tithes was instituted in the law was that tithes should bee assigned to the Leuites so long as they serued the Tabernacle this will appeare if wee consider the first and most principall places wherin tithes are mentioned in the law The first is Leuit. 27. the words are these All tithes of the land both of the seede of the ground and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords it is holy vnto the Lord. Euery tithe of bullocke and sheepe c. This is the first place that speaketh of tithes in which words there is neither institution nor assignation but a simple declaration of the Lords right And heereunto the next place Behold I haue giuen the children of Leuy all the tenth of Israell for an inheritance for their seruice which they serue in the Tabernacle of the Congregation These two places are first in order and principall vnto which wee must refer all that which in the law is spoken of tithes the first testimonie declareth the Lords right the second sheweth that out of his owne right the Lord assigneth them to Leuy I haue giuen them to the children of Leuy It containeth the end and condition of the assignation for the Lord assigneth tithes to Leuy onely for the time of their
time of reformation began by the blessed labours of them whom God raised vp for that seruice After which time the opinion that tithes were ceremonials was first deuised CHAP. VI. The obiections answered and the point in question confirmed THus far haue wee followed the story of Tithes from the beginning though not so exactly as might be wished yet so as serueth sufficiently to shew how the right of tithes haue stood that they were alwaies due to the teachers of the Church before the law vnder the law and in the time of grace And this is sufficient to shew that this thing belongeth to the morall law and so to the law of nature For that which alwaies remaineth the same in all ages of the church doth surely belong to the moral law Thus haue tithes alwaies stood the same in all ages of the church vntil late corruptions breaking in like a flud haue taken away the knowledge and right difference of things But if a man with iudgement think of the matter he will confesse that late vpstarts opinions especially such as are maintained neither by scriptures auncient fathers nor reasons for they who hould tithes from the church haue no other argument then such as moued the Pope to take them away might and vsurpation and that most pleasing reason of gaine A man I say of iudgement and indifferencie must needes yeeld that these later opinions ought not to prescribe against so auncient a truth Now least any scruple might remaine wee purpose last of all to consider the obiections moued against our conclusion Bellarmine passeth somewhat hastily by it and maketh but one obiection but Alphonsus Tostales Bishop of Abula doth insist in the question and seeketh to breed more trouble First hee would prooue that tithes belong not to the law of nature Secondly not to the morall law And first he obiecteth thus God did institute in the olde Testament that tithes should be payed therefore this is not pertaining to the law of nature the reason is that which is naturall is not instituted by a law for vnto such things the bond of nature sufficeth we answere we finde many things instituted in the law which out of question belong to the law of nature as the whole decalog Abulensis reasoneth against this answere thus things pertaining to the law of nature are not put among other precepts but onely they are contained in the decalog tithes are put with others I answere to this last obiection and to the former thus tithes haue two respects First if wee respect the generall ordinance of tithes they were not instituted in the law for this ordinance was before the law and so tithes were alwaies the Lords as wee haue shewed Secondly if wee respect the particular assignation of tithes to the Leuites this is all which was instituted in the law Now this Leuiticall assignation is put with other precepts but the generall ordinance of tithes is included in the decalog The parts of this distinction we haue proued wherefore all that Abulensis can proue by this argument is onely this that the Leuiticall assignation was not belonging to the law of nature which we yeeld Againe where he saith nothing belonging to the law of nature is set among other preceps this is false for those things which are included in the decalog are often repeated among other precepts therefore idolatry whordome and such like are forbidden not onely in the decalog but among other precepts vsury is against the law of nature as naturall men haue witnessed yet it is set among other precepts and the Prophet Ezekiel sheweth that all these vsury idolatry whordome c. are the breaches of the morall law Ezek. 18. therefore those things that beelong to the law of nature are set among other precepts To that obiection which Abulensis draweth from Iacobs vow we haue answered before Farther he obiecteth thus If they were of the law of nature then should all nations be bound thereto to this wee haue answeared before shewing that all Christians haue thought themselues bound thereto and that euen heathen men haue thought no lesse Another obiection is If they belong to the law of nature then should they be due to Gods ministers and yet in the old Testament tithes were not giuen nor any part of them to the priests which were gods chiefe ministers but onely to the Leuites which were ministers of lesse place I aunswere where as Abulensis saith the priests had no tithes which saying he often repeateth we think it enough to aunswere him with the authoritie of other Lyra a Iew borne and more skilfull in the auncient affaires of the Iewes then Abulensis vpon the 7. Heb. saith thus Leuitae generaliter recipiebant decimas a reliquo populo Inter Leuitas autem illi qui erant maiores illius tribus videlicet sacerdotes summi filij Aaron non solum accipiebant decimam à populo sed etiam de parte Leuitarum recipiebant quae vocabatur decima decimae Num 18. This testimonie spoileth his argument Hierom also witnesseth asmuch in Malach. 3. Againe in the language of the fathers this word Leuites vnder the gospell is alwaies vsed for a preaching minister Whereby they signified that tithes were due to labouring ministers Bishops were otherwise prouided for albeit in the beginning Bishops had the distributing of such things among the ministers He obiecteth farther When GOD disposed of tithes Num. 18. He saith I haue giuen the tithes to the children of Leui for their seruice at the tabernacle c. Wherein is meant that he gaue this possession but of late to the Leuits and therefore commanded them to possesse nothing among their brethren thus much we graūt what is the conclusion now if tithes were due by the law of nature then would not God take from them the right of possessing the land among the Israelites Wee aunswere this last inference is deuided ther is no proofe brought for it neither is there any affinitie betweene the antecedent and consequent For GOD may command the Leuites to possesse no lands other then was assigned to them which was a large portion because no worldly businesse should call them away from the seruice of GOD and because the ministers of the gospell might bee instructed not to intangle themselues with the affaires of this world to much in which sense the Apostle giueth that instruction to Timothie no man that warreth doth intangle himselfe with the affaires of this life beecause hee would please him that hath cosen him to bee a souldier and yet the generall right of tithes may belong to the law of nature for all this But admitting the conclusion we say it concludeth onely of the Leuiticall assignation not of the generall ordinance Another obiection is The Leuites by the law of nature were not dedicated to the seruice of the Tabernacle therefore the tenth was not determinable by nature We answere The dedication of the Leuites to the seruice of the Tabernacle was ceremoniall
he praeceptum de soluendis decimis qua parte diuinum naturale est non posse vlla lege humana vel consuetudine contraria aboleri ac proinde certum est Ecclesiam habere ius petendi decimas etiam vbi consuetudo est vt non soluantur in hoc enim omnes theologi Canonistae conueniunt If this bee so certaine then it is also certaine that if it were not for the Popes dispensations to the contrary all Papists would assent to our conclusion By this graunt of Bellarmins wee haue gotten somewhat that all the schole-men and canonists that is in a manner all papists hould that the precept of tithes is diuine and of the law of nature in some sort and that therfore the Church hath right to claime tithes which words would bee well noted for if therefore the Church hath right to demaund tithes because in some sort tithes belong to the morall and naturall law then are tithes neither iudiciall nor ceremoniall in any sort For that which the Church may alwaies demaund is naturall and diuine But the Church saith Bellarmine may alwaies demaund tithes that is the tenth part though custome bee against it Therefore the tenth part is due by the law of God and of nature Now the Church hath not alwayes right to demaund things ceremoniall or iudiciall By this which Bellarmine graunteth we haue enough for he proueth that the quota pars is naturall and diuine And whether Bellarmine graunt thus much or not the force of the truth will compell euery man to confesse that the thing which must of right alwayes be demaunded in the Church is naturall and diuine Now certaine it is that the Church hath no right to demaund any other kinde of maintenance then tithes Abulensis who seemeth to bee much more curious then Bellarmine moueth this question quo nam iure debetur decima after much disputation his resolute aunswere is debetur iure canonico quia non debitur iure naturae nec diuino nec ciuili quum illud non imponat onera pro ministris dei neque est enim aliqua lex ciuilis quae obliget omnes Christianos quum non sit aliquis vnus princeps secularis omnium sicut est vnus princeps ecclesiasticus In which wordes wee obserue the absurdities whereinto great wits must needes fall when once they resolue to haue the truth as Saint Iames saith in respect of persons for by this it appeareth what they would hold if the Popes authoritie to the contrary did not set a byas vpon their wits and words First he saith tithes are due onely iure Canonica but what then must bee said of those times beefore this ius Canonicum was inuented Tithes were proued by the auncient Fathers to bee due when there was no Canon law in the world and were more sincerely held by the Church before then after the Canon law came in held by the Fathers from the law of God and no other Secondly he graunteth that tithes are not due iure ciuili and giueth reasons why they cannot stand by that law which are well to be marked because saith he tithes are the ministers right through all Christendome Now neither doe the ciuill magistrate impose those rights neither is there any one ciuil Prince that ruleth ouer al christendome therefore they are not neither may be imposed by the ciuill lawes If this reason be good then is it certaine that tithes haue nothing to doe with iudicials for nothing is iudiciall but that which may bee imposed by the ciuill lawes this is an euident truth which none denieth that knoweth what are iudicials whereby it is no lesse euident that Abulensis doth vtterly ouerthrow all that deuise at once which the schole-men so busily build vp Thirdly wee reason from his enumeration of lawes thus Tithes are due by some law either by the lawe of God or by the ciuill lawes and Princes constitutions or by the Canon law But Abulensis and the rest of that side graunt that they are not due by the ciuill law and Princes constitutions and wee proue that they are not due by the Canon law because they were more duely more orderly and sincerely payed and held before the Canon law was inuented then euer they were since therefore it must follow that they are due by the law of God As this standeth against the Papists so it standeth no lesse strong against such as hold tithes Princes constitutions because it is proued that tithes were held as orderly and duely in the Church before they were confirmed by Princes constitutions as afterward Princes indeed may confirme or forbid the vse but they cannot make or take away the right Wherefore seeing all that standeth against vs is declared to be of no force and that we haue proued that the maintenance in the Apostles times was nothing but almes that tithes were established in the Church as the auncient ordinance of God that this ordinance is not iudiciall beecause it is holy and of things separate from common vse nor ceremoniall because it was not ordained to remaine onely vntill the time of reformation but remaineth after that time seeing these things stand thus we may safely conclude that tithes are now due to the ministers of the Church by the expresse word of God as they haue beene alwaies accounted in the best ages of the Church FINIS Numb 13. 33. 2. King 22. 20. Spelunca latronum Ios. 10. 23. 1. Kings 14. Exod. 1. 9. 10. 1. Sam. 5. 1. Sam 24. 5. 2. Sam. 10. 4. Psal. 50. Psal. 50. 1. Lib. 2. doct fid art 3. cap. 64. 2 Tom. 1. contr 5 lib. 1. cap. 25. 3. The first opinion refuted 1. Cor. â— Luke 10. 7. 1. Tim. 5. 8. The second opinion refuted Gen. 4. 3. 4 5 Gen. 14. 18. Verse 7. Verse 8. Iohn caluin Gen. 28. 20. 21. 22. To. 1. Con. 5. lib. 1. ca. 25. Herodot Clio. Plutarc Camil. Plut. Lucullo Lib. Saturn 3. cap 42. Biblith lib. 8. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Hist. nat lib 12. cap. 14. 19. Leuit. 27. 30. Num. 18. 21. Whether tithes be ceremoniall 1. 2. q. 81. art â— ad 1. Lib. 2. de Indulg cap. â—â— Gal. 5. 3. Heb. 9. 24. Tithes not iudicials 3. part q. 51. 3. 2. 2. q. 87. Art 3. Hom. 11. In num August in Psal. 146. Apol. cap. 39. Hist. Oct. lib. 1. cap. 17. Defens Pâ—â—â— par 2. c. 25. Cuns 12. q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matriabus ecclesijs In dictione singularum parochiarum spiscoporum Lib de scriptor eccles Orig. Hom 11. in Num. Ibid. Cyprian ep 66. In honore sportulantium fratrum Inter decreta Dionisij caus 13. q. 1. Caus. 3. q. Caus. 16. q. plures Ibid. Eccle. Ibid. qnicuâ— Ibid. statuiâ— Ibid. q. 7. Caus. 16. q. 1. Defens pac part 2 Cap. 14. Or as the glosse seemeth to read the dotation Caus. 16. q. 7. Ibid. Concil Tolet. 4. can 32. Hom 18 iâ— Act. Hom. 44. in Mat. Ad Nepotia de vitacler In Malach. 3. 8. 1. Tim. 5. In serm Quadrages Lib. 50. Homoliarum homel 48. Caus. 16. q. 2. Concil Matif 2. can 6. Caus. 16. q. 1. Hom. 16. in Euang Hom 9 De rebus ecclesijs cap. 87. Caus. 16. q. 10. 1. Chron 30. Catus test veril tom 2. lib. 15. Abulens in Mat. cap. 23. qu. 136. 2. Tim. 2. 4. Apud francis Astesanum iteÌ„ HostienseÌ„ De clericâ— lib. 1. ca. 25. To. 1 con 5. lib. 1. c. 25. In Mat. 23 q. 148.
declared yet that it was ordained of God it appeareth aswell by that which we haue said because that right which from the beginning God hath in euery mans goods is declared by the practise of the patriarks to be tithes as also because Leuit. 27 it is said tithes are the Lords holy to the Lord which words are not Leuiticall or ceremoniall as hereafter shall appeare but declare that tithes were the Lords alwaies and that the Lord euen from the beginning hath thus declared what part he hath in euery mans goods And vpon this ground and reason the patriarks payed tithes before the law Thirdly we note that ordinarily the priesthood before the law giuen was annexed to the eldest of the house the first borne as here to Melchisedech which is thought to be Sem the eldest sonne of Noah as Lyra noteth and the yeares agree For Sem being an hundred yeares old begat Arphaxad two yeares after the floud and liued after that 500. yeares Gen. 11. 11. the end of which 500. yeares falleth in the 50. yeare of Isaac his age ten yeares before the birth of Iacob and Esau. The Lord afterward tooke the Leuites to his seruice in place of the first borne Num. 8. 16. this ordinary course was sometimes broken and the birth right went from the eldest to another yet thus much was alwayes without chaunge the Priesthood did follow the birth right and tithes the priesthood Fourthly Leuy payeth tithes in Abraham whereby it appeareth that to pay tithes is not a ceremonie for if it were then should not Leuy be noted heete for paying tithes that thing cannot be a Leuiticall ceremonie which is contrary to the Leuiticall ordinances but that Leuy should pay tithes is contrary to the Leuitical ordinances which ordaine that tithes should be payed to Leuy Now because it is against the ceremonies of the law that Leuy should pay tithes therefore when Leuy payeth tithes he payeth them not as a ceremony of the law Fiftly we obserue that before the law tithes were paied to Christ so saith the Apostle Heb. 7. 8. Heere men that die receiue tithes but there he receiueth them of whom it is witnessed that he liued In which words the Apostle proueth that in Melchisedech Christ receiued tithes Now if tithes were payed to Christ before the Law what reason may be brought why they should not likewise be payed vnto Christ after the law ceased Againe tithes payed to Melchisedech are here brought by the Apostle as a reason to proue the perpetuitie of Christs priesthood therefore tithes must be payed as long as Christs priesthood standeth Let the reason of the Apostle be considered men that die receiue tithes heere the Leuiticall tithes are but for a time but when Leuy himselfe payeth tithes as before the law it was and after the law it must be then are they giuen to him of whom it is witnessed that he liueth Then from these words of the Apostle there is a difference obserued betweene tithes as payed to Leuy and as to Christ as to Leuy they stood for Leuy his time but tithes die not with Leuy for they are still to be payed to him of whom it is witnessed that he liueth Sixtly hence we vnderstand the manner and reason of paying tithes to Leuy for tithes are the Lords as a right in euery mans goods from the beginning to the end of the world All tithes are the Lords holy to the Lord Leuit. 27. 30. he gaue them for a time to Leuy so long as Leuy should serue the tabernacle and no longer when Leuy ceased to minister at the Alter then tithes ceased to be due to Leuy but tithes then ceased not to be the Lords for as they were his before the law so they stand his for euer because the Lord can neuer loose that right which at the beginning he had in the goods of euery man Seauenthly whereas a question may be moued whether the tithes which Abraham is said heere to pay to Melchisedech were tithes of the spoiles as some thinke they were or of his owne goods I thinke the opinion and reason of the most iudicious interpretor is heere to be followed that Abraham payed tithes not of the spoiles but of his owne goods because Abraham would not practise his liberalitie of other mens goods but of his owne And in the text it is said that Abraham had lift vp his hand to the most high God possessor of heauen and earth that hee would not take so much as a thread or a shoe latchet of that which was taken which he yeelded to the king of Sodom prouiding onely to Aner Escol and Mamre their portions It is then more then probable that he payed no tithes of the spoiles seeing he would not account any part thereof his owne Eightly if Abraham payed tithes to Melchisedech of his owne goods the question may be moued whether he payed them yeerely or no To which question in direct words we haue no aunswere and therefore wee may bee content to be ignorant where the scripture teacheth not but in probabilitie it seemeth hee payed yeerely because they were yeerely payed vnder the law for tithes were not first instituted to be payed vnder the law but before and the same reason was before which was vnder the law for the priest to whom as Lyra speaking from these scriptures saith tithes were due before the law was no lesse yeerely to bee honoured then afterward and they who liued before the law had as much reason to shew their gratitude and obedience to God as afterward Neither could the distance of place be any hinderance in this matter for Abraham dwelt at Hebron ouer against Sodom and Metchisedech at Salem which in the iudgement of Iosephus is Hierusalem both in the tribe of Iuda not far a sunder Ninthly whereas against this it may be obiected out of the words of the Apostle Heb. 7. 4. that Abraham gaue to Melchisedech tithes of the spoyles for answere we must call that translation in some question which translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoyles some learned men of late translate it so but it was not so vnderstood in former times Ierom. translateth it de praeciputs If it might be plainely shewed that the word in the vse of good authors is taken for spoyles then we might make lesse question heere In the meane time we may doubt It is commonly taken of the autors of the Greeke tongue for primitiae and sometimes pro primitijs manubiarum but simply for spoyles not that we know the Seriac translation taking the word in his vsuall sense hath thus To whom the patriarch Abraham gaue tithes and first fruits Isidorus saith Abraham decimas substantiae post benedictionem dedit Melchisedech sicut sucerdotibus benedicentibus sibi populus secundū legem decimas dabat Lyra saith Abraham dedit decimas ipsi Melchisedech cui debebantur tanquam sacerdoti Tenthly admit last of all that Abraham gaue tithes of the spoyles which thing we cannot
Tithes stood in the time of the new Testament LEt it bee examined in the next place how tithes stood in the time of the new Testament In this time we finde no expresse mention that tithes were payed nor any expresse proofe that they were not but there is great probabilitie that they were not First because we finde no expresse testimonie for them Secondly because that vse of paying tithes as the Church then stoode was so incommodious and cumbersome that it could not well be practised And therefore as circumcision was laid aside for a time whilst Israell trauailed through the wildernesse not because the people of right ought not then also to haue vsed it but because it was so incommodious for that estate and time of the Church that it could not without great trouble be practised euen so the vse of tithes in the time of Christ and his Apostles was laid aside not because it ought not but because it could not without great incumbrance be done And as circumcision was resumed as soone as the estate of the Church could beare it so tithes were reestablished as soone as the condition of the church could suffer it for tithes can not wel be payed but where some whole state or kingdome receiueth Christianitie and where the maiestrate doth fauour the Church which was not as then Now as soone as it can be shewed that a Maiestrate did fauour the Church so soone will it also appeare that tithes were established Thirdly moreouer tithes were payed to the priests and Leuites in the time of Christ and his Apostles now the Iewish sinagogue must first be buried before these things could be orderly done when the sinagogue was buryed and the estate of the Church could beare the practise then were tithes brought into vse in the Church Fourthly in the times of the new Testament and somewhat after there was an extraordinary maintenance by a communitie of all things which supplied the want of tithes but this communitie was extraordinary and not to last alwaies now as this extraordinarie maintenance decayed tithes being the ordinarie maintenance of the ministerie grew in vse againe and if it should so happen that the Church should bee in the like case againe as then it was then must paying of tithes cease for the same reason as then it did And then might that communitie be reduced againe for that time that is an extraordinarie maintenance at an extraordinarie time but this could not preiudice the right of the ordinarie maintenance when fit time serueth albeit then that for these reasons tithes were not vsed de facto in the time of the new Testament yet it appeareth that de iure they ought to haue beene payed if these incumbrances had not disturbed the conuenient practise thereof Mat. 23. 23 You tith mint and annise and cummin and leaue the weightier matters of the law c. these ought yee to haue done and not to haue left the other vndone from which words tithing hath the approbation of Christ as a thing that ought to be done there is an apposition betweene things of the same kinde the greatest morall things in mercy and iudgement and the least morall things in paying the least tithes Thus Origen and other fathers vnderstand these words as belonging no lesse to Christians then to Iewes Luke 18. the proud Pharisee in his prayer saith I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithes of all that euer I possesse where we finde tithes accounted morall as fasting Heb 7. 8. the Apostle sheweth from Abrahams paying tithes to Melchisedech that Christs priesthood is perpetuall not subiect to change as was that of Leuy which declareth that tithes follow that priesthood which is perpetuall Briefly I reason thus there is no proofe through out all the new Testament for any other ordinary maintenance of the ministery therefore tithes remaine still the ordinarie maintenance But because the Apostles times are so much obiected against vs for the pretended competencie we must better consider these times so far forth as they touch this maintenance In the Apostles writings ther be two things to be obserued concerning this point First the examples of that maintenance which then was in vse Secondly the reasons and proofes which the Apostles vse to moue the people to contribute both these things stand against the pretended competencie for if the examples be considered that which was done appeareth to be nothing else but almes if the proofes be weighed they are such as proue another thing then that which then was practised and if they bee well examined they prooue tithes due Now the Apostles reasons are good and strong when as by such proofes as indeed proue the ordinary maintenance due he calleth for some other thing of the people because tithes the ordinary maintenance could not in that estate of the Church well bee payed If these things be examined in order it will appeare first by the examples and practise of that time that those contributions were nothing but almes for no man was compelled to giue any thing but euery man gaue as hee was moued It shall bee sufficient of many to shew a few examples the Apostle speaking of such contributions Romanes 15. 26. 27. saith it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certaine distribution c. By which words hee describeth an almes and in the words following where he saith It pleased them their debtours are they he sheweth this distribution was but almes for if it were giuen at their pleasure and if they who receiued it were their debtours surely it can bee nothing but almes The circumstances of that action proue no lesse for they of Macedonia and Achaia as likewise they of Rome were not bound in any other dutie then meere charitie to maintaine those at Rome And as heere wee finde that hee accompteth it so euen so hee calleth it in plaine termes by the name of Almes Act. 24. 17. After many yeeres I came and brought almes to my nation By this it may appeare that the Apostle accompted such contributions as then were vsed in the Church meere Almes Tertullian speaking of this vse which as it seemed continued to his time saith thus vnusquisque stipem quum velit si modo possit apponit nam nemo compellitur sed sponte confert Then from the vse and practise of the Apostles times nothing can bee proued but almes and therefore this competent maintenance cannot bee drawen hence first because this competency by them who striue for it is not meant almes secondly because they who hould this doe thinke that the people may bee compelled to contribute some thing but this is directly against the vse of the Apostles times for no man was compelled but that onely was taken which was willingly giuen Thirdly because they would haue it at the appointment of the maiestrate which thing is not answerable to these times This may suffice to proue that this competent maintenance doth not agree
plentifull blessing vpon the rest hee witnesseth also the same vse of paying tithes in his time by reproouing the abuses of Bishops and ministers when they seemed more carefull to receiue tithes then to procure the good of the people of which sort many were in his time and many moe are in our dayes Si populus decimas non obtulerit murmurant omnes at si peccantem populum viderint nemo murmurat contra cos Hierom speaking in the person of a minister of the gospell saith thus If I then being a part of the Lords inheritance take not my part among my brethren but as a Leuite and Priest liue of tithes hauing meat and raiment heerewithall I am contented Againe he saith quod de decimis diximus quae olim dabantur à populo sacerdotibus Leuitis in Ecclesiae quoque populis intelligito In which place he saith farther Ecclesiae populis praeceptum est dare decimas for proofe he alleadgeth S. Paul the elders that gouerne well are worthy of double honor especially they who labour most in the word and doctrine expounding honour maintenance and vnderstanding that maintenance tithes Out of which testimonies of Hierom who is by Erasmus iudged the most learned of the Latine Fathers it may be obserued First that the precept of tithes is taken to bee part of the morall law and ought to be in no lesse force among Christians then among Iewes such strangers were the learned Fathers in these late deuises which now are found out that tithes should be ceremoniall or iudiciall for albeit these tearmes decimae debentur iure diuino were not in vse in those auncient times yet the Fathers expresly deliuered that which is aeqiualent that Christians are bound to the law of tithes aswell as Iewes were that the precept for paying tithes is now to bee vnderstood in the Church secundum literam Secondly we obserue that the reasons vsed in the new Testament by the Apostles doe truely in the Fathers iudgements conclude for tithes and not for the pretended competency which thing was vtterly vnknowne to the Fathers Ambrose faith Quicunque recognouerit in se quod sideliter non dederit decimas modo emendet quod minus fecit quid est fideliter dare nisi vt nec peius nec minus aliquando afferat de grano aut de vino aut de fructibus arborum aut de pecudibus aut de horto c. In Augustins time it seemeth the people at least in Africa were very negligent in paying tithes and therefore hee exhorteth them very earnestly to that duetie Maiores nostri ideo copys omnibus abundabant quia Deo decimas dabant Caensari censum reddebant modo autem quia discessit deuotio Dei accessit indictio fisci noluimus partiri cum Deo decimas modo autem totum tolletur In which place he witnesseth two things First that it was the custome of the Church long before his time to pay tithes Secondly that this thing pleased God so much that hee blessed them who vsed it so that therefore they had abundance and that men now in his time wanted because they were not faithfull in this seruice of God and therefore preaching vpon the 146. Psal. vpon these words he maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mountaines he compareth the husband man to the mountaine that receiueth raine and bringeth forth grasse hee compareth preaching to the raine and tithes to grasse ecce mons es accipe pluuiaÌ„ da faenuÌ„ and therefore a little after he saith exime partem aliquam reddituum tuorum decimas vis decimas exime quanquam parum sit dictum est enim quia Pharisaei decimas dabant quid ait Dominus nisi abundauerit iusticia vestra plusquaÌ„ Scribarum Pharisaeorum non intrabitis in regnum coelorum ille super quem debet abundare iusticia tua decimas dat tu autem vix centessimam das Where S. Augustin expoundeth the words of the Gospell as Origen and other Fathers did as no lesse belonging yea much more to Christians then to Iewes Hee speaketh not doubting as some vnderstand his words but because the people of his country were so far from performing this duetie if there bee any doubt in his words it is onely in this whether the tenth part were not too little for so doth his words imply decimas vis decimas exime quanquam paris sit And he whom thou must exceede in righteousnesse payeth tithes whereby he implyeth that thou must pay more for hee doth not leaue it at the peoples libertie to pay tithes or not to pay as some take it but sheweth them that were so far from this duety that they ought to pay tithes and yet doe more then that Leo the first liued in S. Augustins time but yonger Gratian citeth his words thus Nullus decimas ad alteruÌ„ pertineÌ„tes accipiat not long after this the councell called Marisconense 2. was held wherein it was thus decreed Leges diuinae sacerdotibus ministris ecclesiaruÌ„ pro haereditaria portione omni populi praeceperuÌ„t decimas fructuuÌ„ suoruÌ„ sacris locis praestare vt nullo habere impediti spiritualibus possent vacare ministerijs quas leges Christianorum congerics longis temporibus custodiuit intemeratas Vnde statuimus vt mos antiquus reparetur vt decimas ecclesiasticas omnis populus inferat This councell was held about the yeare of Christ 580. The testimonie of the fathers of this councel is to be obserued They witnesse that the ordinance of tithes was very auncient in the church before them and as auncient so vniuersally receiued among Christians They witnesse likewise that the right thereof is from the law of God Before this councell almost an hundreth yeares was held the first councell of Orleans which affirmeth the same After this the same truth was likewise coÌ„firmed by diuerse councells Concil CaebiloneÌ„s 2. cap. 19. concil Melens cap. 2. Concil Valent. cap. 10. Concil Foreiuliens cap. vlt. Concil Mogunt cap. 17. Concil Rothomag which is thus cited by Gratian Omnes decimae terrae siue de frugibus siue de pomis arborum domini sunt illi sanctificantur Ones boues caprae quae sub virga pastoris transeunt quioquid decimae euenor it sanctificabitur Domino The Fathers of this councell show that they vnderstood the precept of tithes Leuit 27. literally no otherwise to be vnderstoode for Iewes then Christians Concil Triburiens cap. 13. and 14. saith thus quid si dicerit Dominiss nempe meus es ô homo mea est terra quam colis mea semina qâ—â— spargis mea animalia quae fatigas meus est solis ardor quum omnia mea sint tu qui manus accomodas solum decimam merebaris sed seruo tibi nouem da mihi decimam si non dederis decimaÌ„ auferam nouem si dederis mihi decimam multiplicabo nouem Si ergo querat aliquis cur