Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A48940
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Tythe no gospel maintenance for gospel ministers In an epistle to all who conscienciously suffer for not paying them. By William Loddington.
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Loddington, William, 1626?-1711.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing L2808; ESTC R220162
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7,345
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30
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Temple might exasperate the Jews as well others as the Galileans and raise the Question so high as Whether it were lawful to pay it him or not But Christ ends the Controversie as before said without disputing Caesar's Authority to receive it which doubtless they which came to trap him thought he would have done or else I see no Snare in their Question ver 17. But to return a full and final Answer to this Objection You may see plainly how it begs all them for Fools who deny Tythes to be a Maintenance for Gospel Ministers by supposing them willing to encumber their Land with what they disown And their Ministers also to be of the same Principle to receive such a kind of Maintenance which is not to be supposed in this Case Thus we see how ignorantly Men argue when out of Truth how confusedly they jumble things Temporal and Spiritual together supposing things not to be supposed to make a Paint for Diana Tythe And then follows harsh words as Cheats and Thieves for not paying it But what care some so long as they can quiet their Minds with this That they have a Law for it So did Informers of late and the Jews of old Joh. 19.7 But whether a Law will stand the Trial before the Great Law-maker of Heaven and Earth is too often the least part though it should be the principal Part of every Man's Examination before he conform to it But are not such of Vespasian's Humour who when he was advised not to lay a Tax upon Urine it is said he answered Dulcis odor lucri ex re qualibet No kind of Profit comes amiss If got by a Law tho' it stinks like Piss ' Obj. Lastly The Priest hath one more fling at us saying His Title to the Tenth is as good as ours to the other Nine parts and that the Law hath given him a Right to it as much as of the Rest to us Ans This fair shew hath a false Foundation For the Law creates not a Right or Title to things of this Nature betwixt Man and Man Gift or Purchase is the true Ground of Right and Property When a Man Buys an Estate or hath it given him it is truly his own before any Writings be made yet we go to Counsel to have them drawn to secure it from false Claims So the Law in this Case may fitly be compared to a Man of War which defends the Merchant's Goods from Pyrates But the Merchant's Title to his Goods is not derived from the Man of War ' Obj. If any Reply That the Law gives the Poor a Right to the Rates or Taxes charged upon our Land without our Consent Ans The Poor's Right to Relief is grounded upon the Law of God Lev. 25.35 Rom. 15.26 27. Gal. 2.10 c. and he is not a Christian that denies it Therefore it 's not the Law of the Land that gives the Poor an Original Right to Relief it only doth as aforesaid secure Relief to them by commanding equal Collections for them in all Parishes I might further shew if it were needful how unreasonable it is for the Priest to force those to pay him that never hear him or receive any Benefit by his Ministry But most Peoples Eyes are open to see this I know no Man not concern'd in Tythe nor blinded with Prejudice but will grant there is as little Reason why I should be compell'd to maintain a Minister of his Religion as for him to maintain one of mine Or for me to build or repair a Place for him to worship in as for him to repair one for me This Fruit would naturally grow upon the Tree of Conscience Liberty did not some kind of Brids spoil the Blossoms Truth hath always pure Reason on its side and it teaches every Friend rightly to their measure to answer Questions of the hope in them 1 Pet. 3.15 And I pray with the Apostle 2 Thes 3.2 to be delivered from unreasonable Men for such have not Faith But I shall briefly conclude this about Reason with those Ingenious Verses of Palingenius concerning it Lib. 8. Quicquid Aristoteles vel quivis dicat eorum Dicta nihil moror a vero quum forte recedunt Nemo putet sibi me addictum mihi flectere mentem Solo solet Ratio Ratio Dux fida Sophorum Hanc scrutator amet veri imprimisque sequatur When Learned Rabbies or great Aristotle Recede from Truth their Talk's but Tittle Tottle Let no Man think me to himself to bind Reason pure Captain Reason rules my Mind And every Man's that seeks the Truth to find So dear Friends I have given you very plain and short Answers to the strongest Arguments I ever heard for the Priest's Tythes I pray God convince all in Power that we are not against any Man's Civil Property nor that we deny Tythe because it 's a burden to our Estates but to our Consciences We know our Saviour hath put an end to them and we dare not continue them But are made willing rather to suffer the severe Penalties of the Law as Writs of Rebellions Sequestrations Outlawries Treble Damages and Imprisonments unto Death Lord incline the Government to take off these hard things before the Cry of the Oppressed bring down greater Calamities than yet we have seen In the mean time that we may stand faithful and patient under all to the End is the Desire and Prayer of Your True Friend W. L. POSTSCRIPT IN the End of many Bibles there is a Form of Prayer for private Families bound up no doubt but by Consent of Authority It begins thus Almighty and most Merciful Father and about the middle it goes on thus And because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another we do not only make our Request O Lord for our selves but for all People and Nations of the World who as they know by thy Wonderful Works that thou art God over all so they may be instructed by thy Holy Spirit to believe in thee their only Saviour and Redeemer But for as much as they cannot believe except they hear nor cannot hear but by Preaching and none can Preach except he be sent Therefore O Lord raise up faithful Distributers of thy Mysteries who setting apart all Worldly Respects may both in their Life and Doctrine only seek thy Glory Contrarily confound Satan Antichrist with all Hirelings and Papists in some Copies whom thou hast already cast off into a Reprobate Sense that they may not by Sects Schisms Heresies and Errors disquiet thy little Flock And because O Lord we be fallen into the latter Days and dangerous Times wherein Ignorance hath gotten the upper hand and Satan by his Ministers seeks by all means to quench the Light of thy Gospel we beseech thee to maintain thy Cause against those Ravening Wolves and strengthen all thy Servants whom they keep in Prison and Bondage Quis non subscriberet Amen FINIS