Law of Tithes was enacted by those Kings and Barons upon the Opinion they had of their Divine Right as the very words import of Edward the Confessor in the close of that Law for so Blessed Austin preached and taught meaning the Monk who first brought the Romish Religion into England from Gregory the Pope And by the way I add that by these Laws imitating the Laws of Moses the third part of Tithes only was the Priests due the other two were appointed for the Poor and to adorn or repair Churches as the Canons of Echbert and Elphric witness Concil Brit. If then these Laws were founded upon the Opinion of Divine Autority and that Autority be found mistaken and erroneous as hach been fully manifested it follows that these Laws fall of themselves with their False Foundation But with what face or conscience can they alledge Moses or these Laws for Tithes as they now enjoy whereof Moses ordains the Owner as we heard before the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow partakers with with the Levite and these Fathers which they cite and these though Romish rather than English Laws allotted both to Priest and Bishop the third part only But these our Protestant these our new reformed English Presbyterian Divines against their own cited Authors and to the shame of their pretended Reformation would engross to themselves all Tithes by Statute and supported more by their wilful obstinacy and desire of filthy Lucre than by these both insufficient and impertinent Autorities would perswade a Christian Magistracy and Parliament whom we trust God hath restored for a happier Reformation to impose upon us a Judaical Ceremonial Law and yet from that Law to be more irregular and unwarrantable more complying with a covetous Clergy than any of those Popish Kings and Parliaments alledged Another shift they have to plead that Tithes may be Moral as well as the Sabbath a tenth of fruits as well as a seaventh of days I answer that the Prelates who urge this Argument have least reason to use it denying morality in the Sabbath and therein better agreeing with reformed Churches abroad than the rest of our Divines As therefore the Seaventh day is not moral but a convenient recourse of worship in fit season whether seaventh or other number so neither is the tenth of our goods but only a convenient subsistance morally due to Ministers The last and lowest sort of their Arguments that men purchas'd not their Tithe with their Land and such like Pertiforggery I omit as refuted suffoiently by others I omit also their violent and irreligious exactions related no less credibly their seising of Pots and Pans from the Poor who have as good Right to Tithes as they fromsome the very Beds their sueing and imprisoning worse than when the Canon Law was in force worse than when those Sons of Eli were Priests whose manner was thus to seise their pretended Priestly due by force 1 Sam. 2. 12 c. Whereby men abhorred the offering of the Lord and it may be feared that many will as much abhor the Gospel if such violence as this be suffered in her Ministers and in that which they also pretend to be the offering of the Lord. For those sons of Belial within some limits made seisure of what they knew was their own by an undoubted Law but these from whom there is no Sanctuary seise out of mens grounds out of mens houses their other goods of double sometimes of treble value for that which did not Covetousness and Rapine blind them they know to be not their own by the Gospel which they preach Of some more tolerable than these thus severely God hath spoken Isa 46. 10. c. They are greedy Dogs they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter With what anger then will he judge them who stand not looking but under colour of a Divine Right fetch by force that which is not their own taking his name not in vain but in violence Nor content as Gehazi was to make a cunning but a constrained advantage of what their Master bids them give freely How can they but return smitten worse than that sharking Minister vvitha Spiritual Leprosie And yet they cry out Sacriledge that men vvill not be gull'd and hassl'd the Tenth of their Estates by giving credit to frivolous pretences of Divine Right Where did God ever clearly declare to all Nations or in all Lands and none but Fools part with their Estates without elearest of evidence on bare supposals and presumptions of them who are the gainers thereby that he required the tenth due to him or his son perpetually and in all places Where did he demand it that we might certainly know as in all claims of temporal right what is just and reasonable or if demanded where did he design it or by what evident conveyance to Ministersâ— Unless they can demonstrate this by more than conjectures their Title can be no better to Tithes than the Titles of Gohazi was to those things which by abusing his Masters name he rooked from Neemen Much less where did he command that Tithes should be fetcht by forâ—e where left not under the Gospel whatever his right was to the Free-will offerings of men Which is the greater Sacriledge to belie Divine Autoritie to make the name of Christ accessary to violence and robbing him of the very Honour which he aimed at in bestowing freely the Gospel to commit Simonie and Rapine both Secular and Ecclesiastical or on the other side not to give the tenth of civil right and propriety to the tricks and impostures of Clergy-men contriv'd with all the art and argument that their bellies can invent or suggest yet so ridiculous and presuming on the Peoples dulness or superstition as to think they prove the divine right of their maintainance by Abram paying Tithes to Melchisedec when as Melchisedec in that passage rather gave maintenance to Abram in whom all both Priests and Ministers as well as Lay-men paid Tithes not received them And because I affirm both beginning this first part of my Discourse that God hath given to Ministers of the Gospel that maintenance only which is justly given them let us see a little what hath been thought of that other maintenance besides Tithes which of all Protestants our English Divines either only or most apparently both require and take Those are Fees for Christnings Marriages and Burials whiâ—h though who so will may give freely yet being not of right but of free gift if they be exacted or established they become unjust to them who are otherwise maintained and of such evil note that even the Council of Trent l. 2. p. 240. makes them lyable to the Laws against Simonie who take or demand fees for the administring of any Sacrament Che la sinodo volendo levare oli abusi vntrodotti c. And in the next Page with like seâ—erity condemns the giving or taking for a Benefice and the celebrating
Labourer is worthy of his Hire c. And into what City soever you enter and they receive you eat such things as are set before you To which Ordinance of Christ it may seem likeliest that the Apostle refers us both here and 1 Tim. 5. 18. where he cites this as the saying of our Saviour That the Labourer is worthy of his Hire and both by this place of Luke and that of Mar. 10. 9 10 11. it evidently appears that our Saviour ordained no certain maintainance for his Apostles or Ministers publickly or privately in house or City received but that what ever it were which might suffice to live on and this not commanded or proportioned by Abram or by Moses whom he might easily have here cited as his manner was but declared only by a rule of common equity which proportions the hire as well to the abilitie of him who gives as to the labour of him who receives and recommends him only as worthy not invests him with a Legal right And mark whereon he grounds this ordinance not on a perpetual right of Tithes from Melchisedec as Hirelings pretend which he never claimed either for himself or for his Ministers but one the plain and common equity of rewarding the Labourer worthy sometimes of single sometimes of double honour not proportionable by Tithes And the Apostle in this forecited chapter to the Corinthians ver 11 affirms it to be no great recompence if carnal things be reaped for spiritual sown but to mention Tithes neglects here the fittest occasion that could be offered him and leaves the rest free and undermined Certainly if Christ or his Apostles had approved of Tithes they would have either by writing or tradition recommended them to the Church and that soon would have appeared in practise of those Primitive and the next Ages But for the first three hundred years and more in all the Ecclesiastical Story I find no such Doctrine or example though error by that time had brought back again Priests Altar and Oblations and in many other points of Religion had miserably Judaiz'd the Church So that the defenders of Tithes after a long pomp and tedious preparation out of Heathen Authors telling us that Tithes were paid to Hercules and Apollo which perhaps was imitated from the Iews and as it were be speaking our expectation that they will bound much more with autorities out of Christian Story â— have nothing of general approbation to begin with from the first three or four Ages but that which abundantly serves to the confutation of their Tithes while they confess that Church-men in those Ages lived meerly upon Free-will Offerings Neither can they say that Tithes were not then paid for want of Civil Magistrates to ordainthem for Christians had then also Lands and might give out of them what they pleas'd and yet of Tithes then given we find no mention And the first Christian Emperours who did all things as Bishops advis'd them suppli'd what was wanting to the Clergy not out of Tithes which were never motioned but out of their own Imperial Revenues as is manifest in Eusebius Theodoret and Sozomen from Constantine to Arcadius Hence those ancientest reformed Churches of the WALDENSES if they rather continued not pure since the Apostle deni'd that Tithes were to be given or that they were even given in the Primitive Church as appears by an ancient Tractate inserted in the Bohemian History Thus far hath the Church been always whether in her Prime or in her ancientest Reformation from the approving of Tithes nor without reason for they might easily perceive that Tithes were fited to the Iews only a National Church of many incomplete Synagogues uniting the accomplishment of Divine Worship in one Temple and the Levites there had their Tithes paid-where they did their Bodily work to which a particular Tribe was set apart by divine appointment not by the Peoples Election but the Christian Church is universal not ti'd to Nation Diocess or Parish but consisting of many particular Churches compleat in themselves gathered not by compulsion or the accident of dwelling nigh together but by free consent choosing both their particular Church and their Church-Officers Whereas if Tithes be set up all these Christian Priviledges will be disturbed and soon lost and with them Christian Liberty The first Autority which our Adversaries bring after those Fabulous Apostolio Canons which they dare not insist upon is a Provincial Councel held aâ— Cuâ—â—en where they voted Tithes to be Gods Râ—â—t in the year three hundred and fifty six at the same time perhaps when the three Kings reigned there and of like autority For to what purpose do they bring these trivial Testimonies by which they might as well prove Altars Candles at noon and the greatest part of those Superstitions fetched from Paganism or Iudâ—ism which the Papists inveigled by this fond Argument of Antiquity retain to this day To what purpose those Decrees of I know not what Bishops to a Parliament and People who have thrown out both Bishops and Altars and promised all Reformation by the word of God And that Altars brought Tithes hither as one corruption begot another is evident by one of those Questions which the Monk Aâ—â—tin propounded to the Pope concerning those things which by Offerings of the Faithful came to the Altars as Beda writes l. â—â— 27. If then by these Testimonies we must have Tithes continued we must again have Altars Of Fathers by Custom so called they quote Ambrose Augustin and some other Ceremonial Doctors of the same Leaven whose assertion without pertinent Scripture no reformed Church can admit and what they vouch is founded on the Law of Moses with which every where pitifully mistaken they again incorporate the Gospel as did the rest also of those Titular Fathers perhaps an Age or two before them by many Rights and Ceremonies both Jewish and Heathenish introduâ—â—d whereby thinking to gain all they lost all and instead of winning Jews and Pagans to be Christians by too much condescending they turend Christians into Jews and Pagans To heap such unconvincing Citations as these in Religion whereof the Scripture only is our Rule argues not much learning nor judgment but the lost labour of much unprofitable reading and yet a late â—ot Querist for Tithes whom he may know by his wits lying ever beside him in the Margent to be ever besides his wits in the Text a fierce Reformer once now ranckl'd with a contrary heat would send us back very reformedly indeed to learn Reformation from Tyndarus and Rebuffus two Canonical Promoters They produce next the ancient stitutions of this Land Saxon Laws Edicts of Kings and their Councels from Athelstan in the year nine hundred twenty eight that Tithes by tâ—te were paid and might produce from Ina above two hundred years before that Romescot or Peters-penny was by as good Statute Law paid to the Pope from seven hundred twenty five and almost as long continu'd And who knows not that this
Tithe should take into his own power the Stipendiary Maintenance instead of Church Ministers or compel it by Law can stand neither with the People Right nor with Christian Liberty but would suspend the Church wholly upon the State and turn her Ministers into State Pentioners And for the Magistrate in Person of a Nursing Father to make the Church his meer Ward as alwaies in Minority the Church to whom he ought as Magistrate Esa. 49. 23. To bow down his face toward the Earth and lick up the dust of her feet her to subject to his Political Drifts or conceived Opinions by mastering her Revenue and so by his Examinant Committees as send her free Election of Ministers is neither just nor pious no honour done to the Church but a plain dishonour and upon her whose only head is in Heaven yea upon him who is her only Head sets another in effect and which is most monstrous a Human on Heavenly a Carnal on a Spiritual a Political Head on an Ecclesiastical Body which at last by such Heterogeneal such Incestuous Conjunction transforms her oft-times into a Beast of many Heads and many Horns For if the Church be of all Societies the Honest on earth and so to be reveng'd by the Magistrate not to trust her with her own belief and integrity and therefore not with the keeping a least with the disposing of what Revenue shall be found justly and lawfully her own is to count the Church not a holy Congregation but a Pack of giddy or dishonest Persons to be ruled by civil Power in sacred Affairs But to proceed further in the truth yet more freely seeing the Christian Church is not National but consisting of many particular Congregations subject to many changes as well through civil Accidents as through Schism and various Opinions not to be decided by any outward Judge being matters of Conscience whereby these pretended Church-Revenues as they have been ever so are like to continue endless matter of disâ—ention both between the Church and Magistrate and the Churches among themselves There will be found no better remedy to these evils otherwise incurable than by the incorruptest Council of those Waldenses our first Reformers to remove them as a Pest an Apple of Discord in the Church for what else can be the effect of Riches and the snare of mony in Religion and to convert them to those more profitable uses above expressed or other such as shall be judged most necessary considering that the Church of Christ was founded in poverty rather than in revenues stood purest and prospered best without them received them unlawfully from them who both erroneously and unjustly sometimes impiously gave them and so justly was ensuared and corrupted by them And least it be thought that these revenues withdrawn and better imployed the Magistrate ought instead to settle by statute some maintenance of Ministers let this be considered first that it concerns every mans Conscience to what Religion he contributes and that the Civil Magistrate is intrusted with Civil Rights only not with Conscience which can have no Deputy or Representer of it self but one of the same mind next that what each man gives to the Minister he gives either as to God or as to his Teacher if as to God no Civil Power can justly consecrate to religious uses any part either of Civil revenue which is the Peoples and must save them from other Taxes or of any mans Propriety but God by special Command as he did by Moses or the owner himself by voluntary Intention and the perswasion of his giving it to God Forced Consecrations out of another mans Estate are no better than forc'd vowes fâ—ateful to God who loves a chearful Giver but more hateful wrung out o mens purses to maintain a disapproved Ministery against their Conscience however unholy infamous and dishonourable to his Ministers and the free Gospel maintained in such unworthy manner as by violence and extortion if he give it as to his Teacher what justice or equity compels him to pay for learning that Religion which leaves freely to his choise whether he will learn it or no whether of this Teacher or another and especially to pay for what he never learned or approves not whereby besides the wound of his conscience he becomes the less able to recompence his true Teacher Thus far hath been enquired by whom Church-Ministers ought to be maintained and hath been proved most natural most equal and agreeable with Scripture to be by them who receive their teaching and by whom if they be unable Which waies well observ'd can discourage none but Hirelings and will much lessen their number in the Church It remains lastly to consider in what manner God hath ordained that recompence be given to Ministers of the Gospel And by all Scripture it will appear that he hath given it them not by Civil Law and Freehold as they claim but by the benevolence and free gratitude of such as receive them Luke 10. 7 8. Eating and drinking such things as they give you If they receive you eat such things as are set before you Mat. 10â— 7 8. As ye go preach saying The Kingdom of God is at hand c. Freely ye have received freely give If God have ordained Ministers to preach freely whether they receive recompence or not then certainly he hath forbid both them to compel it for them But freely given to himself Phil. 4. 16 17 18. Ye sent once and again to my necessity Not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your Account Having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God Which cannot be from force or unwillingness The same is said of Alms Heb. 13. 16. To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Whence the primitive Church thought it no shame to receive all their Maintenance as the Alms of their Auditors Which they who defend Tithes as if it made for their Cause when as it utterly confutes them omit not to set down at large proving to our hands out of Origen Tertullian Cyprian and others that the Clergy lived at first upon the meer benevolence of their hearers who gave what they gave not to the Clergy but to the Church out of which the Clergy had their portions given them in baskets and were thence called Sportularii Basket-Clerks that their portion was a very mean allowance only for a bare livelihood according to those precepts of our Saviour Mat. 10. 7 c. the rest was distributed to the poor They cite also out of Prosper the Disciple of St. Austin that such of the Clergy as had means of their own might not without sin partake of Church-maintenance not receiving thereby food which they abound with but feeding on the sins of other men that the holy Ghost saith of such Clergy-men they eat the sins of my