The Countries Plea againſt Tithes.To all Parſons theſe preſent.

SEeing there is much Suite, variance and Contention between ma­ny Miniſters in this Kingdome, and their Pariſhioners concerning the tenth part of corne and other edicimations which they claim as due by the name of Tythes, and whereas divers honeſt, ſuffici­ent, and underſtanding Pariſhioners have received certain papers or She­dules from the ſaid Miniſters, pretending to prove that Tithes are due unto them by Authority of Scripture: The Pariſhioners in the ſaid ſe­verall Pariſhes have made this joynt Declaration of their Opinion con­cerning Tithes, and do prove them to be no wayes agreeable to the Word of God now in this time of the Goſpell, and doe withall ſhew what are the grounds which do perſwade them to detain them.

Our preſent Opinion concerning Tithes is the ſame now that it e­ver was, though we never did ſhew it by making any refuſall of pay­ing them untill now, for we have ever ſaid and held that they were or­dained by a Jewiſh Ceremoniall Leviticall Law, and that it ended, and ought to end and determine, as all other Leviticall Lawes did, at the end and determination of the Leviticall Prieſthood, for whoſe main­tenance it was Ordained, which was at the coming of Chriſt in whom the Leviticall Prieſthood with all other Leviticall Lawes, whereof that of Tythes was one did take an end, and ſurely had not that Law been then at an end it would have been in uſe among the Apoſtles and their ſucceſſours as all other Morall Lawes were, but moſt certain it is that neither in the Apoſtles times nor in any of the ſucceeding ages in all the times of the Primitive Churches, that this Law for Tythes was ever in uſe, for the Apoſtles and their ſucceeding Miniſters of the Goſpell for neere about 300. years after Chriſt his Aſcention lived of the free liberality of the people, never once taking, nor ſo much as demanding Tythes. But when ſuperſtition and hereſie crept into the Church, the corrupted Miniſtry finding that the Chriſtian liberality of the people2 failed as well as true Religion, then did they bring in Tythes againe by little and little, for to maintain their corrupted, and ſuperſtiti­ous Miniſtry, which otherwiſe would have wanted maintenance.

The Miniſters know as well as our ſelves and much better, that O­rigen, Cyprian and Gregory, doe all witneſſe that near three hundred yeares after Chriſt, Ʋrban Biſhop of Rome, began to bring Tithes in­to uſe, for maintenance of his Clergie, untill which time there was a community of all things among Chriſtians, as Turtullian witneſſeth. But long after Biſhop Ʋrbans time, at the Laterane Councell, Tithes were again condemned as Ceremoniall and utterly ſuppreſſed, as ſaith D. Carleton, and M. Roberts: afterwards in the more groſſer times of Popery they did winde them in againe by little and little, by which afore-named Authors and many more, it plainely appeareth, that in the very declining times of the Goſpell, nay even then when the true light of the Goſpell began to be wholely obſcured, there was yet much trouble and a great deale of ſtirre to bring this old Ceremoni­all Law into uſe againe, and much oppoſition there was then againſt it, and a long time it was before it could be brought to paſſe: We know you have read the Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories, and do know much better then we can tell you, (had you but the conſcience to acknow­ledge it) how and in what manner Tythes were brought into uſe in the Church by the Pope and his ſuperſtitious Adherents; for you know and cannot deny, how that untill the Pope and Popery grew up, there were no Tythes in uſe, no nor ſo much as once required, there­fore it is not as you ſay, that they were in uſe and were payed through­out all the times of the Goſpell. The covetouſneſſe of the Clergy got them into uſe by blind folding the poore blind ignorant people, when they had brought in (as it were) a generall ignorance among the peo­ple, (and that they ſay is the mother of devotion) then they brought in Tythes and not before; for Tythes they could never bring in, untill they had firſt brought in a generall ignorance of the truth: the co­vetouſneſſe of the Clergy is it, and not conſcience that moveth them to endeavour the continuance of them? for you all well know, that by the Law of the Goſpell they are not to be, but that another form of maintenance is appoinned for the Miniſtry, in the roome thereof.

If you will needs have that Law of Tything to be a Morall Law, why then doe you not obſerve it in all the parts thereof? In the Le­viticall Law they had Prieſts and Levites, the Levites tooke the tenth3 of the peoples increaſe, and the Prieſts took the tenth of the Le­vites tenth part for their portion, Numb. 18.26, 27, 28, 29, 30. &c. If you will have a Leviticall maintenance, you muſt have a Leviti­call Prieſthood, and no other; if the Leviticall Prieſthood be re­moved, and another Prieſthood come in place thereof, then are Tythes the maintenance thereof removed, and another maintenance come in roome thereof alſo. For how can the thing maintaining remaine any longer then the thing maintained doth remaine? and ſo much the Apoſtle doth ſet forth in that ſaying, Hebr. 7.12. if there be a change of the Prieſthood, there muſt be alſo of neceſſity a change of the Law, that is of the Law for the maintenance of the Prieſthood; if that Law of Tythes were a perpetuall Law, and to be obſerved and kept now in the time of the Goſpell, then muſt the third years Tythe be given partly to the poore, for ſo the Lord commandeth, Deut. 14.28, 29. where the Lord ſaith, at the end of three yeares thou ſhalt bring forth all the Tythe of thy increaſe the ſame yeare, and ſhalt lay in up within thy gates, and the Levite and the Stranger, and the Fatherleſſe and the Widdow ſhall come and eat, and be ſatisfied: The like is againe commanded, Deut. 26.1•. from whence it is cleare, that every third yeare the Tythe ought to be ſaid up by the payer thereof, and the moſt part thereof to be di­ſtributed to the poore, the Levite was to have but onely a ſhare thereof: The ſame was the practice of Tobia, and the third yeares Tythe (ſaith he) I gave it to whom it was due, Tob. 1.6, 7, 8. and the ſame was the practice of all the Jewes (as by many Scriptures it may and doth appeare) untill the coming of Chriſt. And ſo i•muſt be now at this time, if that Law be ſtill in force; but where is now that Parſon that ever left this third years Tythe to the uſe of the poore? and yet by the ſame Law that he takes it the two yeares he is to leave it the third; if this Law be to be obſerved and kept in one part, it is to be obſerved and kept in another, for all the parts of it make but one Law. Again, by the ſame Law every ſeventh yeare the Land muſt reſt, and not he plowed, tilled, or ſowed, but that ſeventh year is to be a Sabboth of reſt unto the Lord, Levit. 25.3, 4, 5. If this Law be a Morall Law and to endure for ever, why then is it ſo much altered, as now it is, from that it was at the firſt inſtitution? if any man can hereof give us an an­ſwer by the Word of God, or by Morall reaſon either, we ſhall4 be of his opinion, otherwiſe we could wiſh him to be of ours.

By the Leviticall Law the people paid to the Prieſts and Levites firſt fruits, for whatſoever was firſt ripe in the Land was the Lords, ſo alſo was the firſt borne both of Man and Beaſt, The firſt borne of man and of unclean beaſts was to be redeemed with money, Numb. 18. Now we demand why theſe ſame things are not now in uſe as well as Tythes, being that they were ordained by the ſame God, and by the ſame Law, and for the ſame end that Tythes were.

It is true that you alledge, that God gave a bleſſing upon the fulfilling of this Law, and pronounced a curſe upon the neglecters thereof, Ezek. 44.30. Malachie 3.8. and Proverbes 3.9, 10. But thoſe Bleſſings and Curſings are proper to the fulfilling and neg­lecting of the Leviticall Law as it was a Leviticall Law and not as a Morall Law. God did require as exact performance of all his Levi­ticall and Ceremoniall Lawes during the time of their continuance, as of the Morall Lawes, and did as ſeverely puniſh all offenders, that did in any wayes offend againſt the Ceremoniall Lawes, as he did thoſe that did offend againſt the Morall Law; And reaſon good, that whatſoever God did command though it were to indure but for a time, ſhould be obſerved for that time it was to indure, as if it had been commanded and ordained to indure for ever, we ſee divers Lawes and Statutes have been made in this Kingdome, to indure and be in force for a time, as, untill the firſt Seſſions of the next Parliament, as may be ſeen in the Book of Statutes at large, and for that time they were to indure, there was as exact obſer­vance of them required, as if they had been made perpetuall, much more then of Gods Lawes made in the like nature.

And where you alledge that of Numb. 18.19. by a Statute for e­ver, to prove the Law of Tythes to be perpetuall, we anſwer to that; That thoſe words for ever, do prove the Law of Tythes to be no more perpetuall or Morall, then the ſame words for ever in Deut. 18.5. Do prove the Prieſthood of Levi to be a perpetuall Prieſthood, for the Lord there ſaith of that Tribe of Levi and Prieſt­hood, The Lord thy God hath choſen him to ſtand to miniſter in the name of the Lord, both him and his ſens for ever; The word ever, in ma­ny places more in theſe Leviticall Lawes is uſed to the ſame purpoſe but doth not prove the Law to which it is added to be perpetuall;5 So that by the ſame very Argument that you would prove Tythes to be perpetuall, we can as well prove the Leviticall Prieſthood to be perpetuall, and all one, and we know you will deny that Prieſt­hood to be perpetuall, and ſo by conſequence you muſt do that o­ther of Tythes. The word ever in that place and many other the like, can extend no further then the Lawes did, which was untill Chriſt came, who was the end of the Law, for all the Ceremoni­all and Leviticall Lawes and Ordinances that God made to the Jewes, were but ſhadowes and Types of what was to come; Now when the thing ſhadowed and Tipified is come, the Type and ſha­dow muſt needs vaniſh away. And if the ſhadow or thing giving ſhadow be vaniſhed, or taken away, then the ſupporter of the thing giving ſhadow, muſt needs be removed alſo. The Leviticall Prieſthood was but a Type, a ſhadow of the true Prieſthood that was to come, and if the true Prieſthood be come, and the ſhadowing Prieſthood taken away; Then muſt Tythes the ſupportment of that ſhadowing or tipicall Prieſthood be alſo taken away, and a new Prieſthood being come, a new maintenance muſt be had to ſupport and maintain the ſame.

The Apoſtle ſaith 1. Cor. 9.13, 14. That they that preach the Go­ſpell muſt live of the Gospell; To them that a Miniſter preacheth the Goſpell, of them muſt he be maintained. It is the deſire of all Gods people, (and ſo it ought to be) that the Miniſters of the Goſpell ſhould have a ſufficient maintenance allowed them though not by way of Tythes, nay not only a ſufficient maintenance, but an abun­dant, a large and rich maintenance, ſuch a maintenance as they may live liberally without any other imployment but the Miniſtery, the work of the Miniſtery is the work of the whole man both of body and mind, and therefore ought to have no other imployment nei­ther of body or mind but only the ſtudy of the Goſpell, and there­fore not ſitting he ſhould be troubled with gathering of Tythes. Neither is it ſit or becomming Chriſtians that their Miniſter ſhould live in a mean condition either for dyet or cloathing, but as he is more excellent in calling, ſo ought he to have a more large and better maintenance in thoſe reſpects then others, for he feeding the ſoules with ſpirituall things the Word of God, the people ought to feed his body liberally with their baſe Temporall things.

If Tythes were due to the Miniſters of the Goſpell by a Divine Right, by a perpetuall Law, why are they then taken away from6〈1 page duplicate〉7〈1 page duplicate〉6the Miniſters by Impropriators? God that ordained this Law, we are ſure never ordained Impropriations neither under the Law be­fore Chriſt, nor under the Goſpell ſince Chriſt; ſhould it be gran­ted that this Law of Tythes were a Morall Law, then it muſt be al­ſo granted, that it was ordained only for the maintenance of the Miniſtry, and not for Lay-men as now it is, by impropriations in too too many places. Had Tythes been ordained for maintenance of the Miniſters of the Goſpell, and to continue now in the time of the Goſpell, ſurely they ſhould never have been ſuffered to be impropriate to the uſe of Lay-men as now they are: This ſtrange change is a very good Argument, to prove that Law to be now void and of no effect; It is well known that where Parſonages are impropriate, and nothing left fot the Miniſters maintenance but the ſmall Tythes (as they call them) that many able and worthy Miniſters, who take great pains in their Miniſtry, and are of good life and converſation, and therefore deſerve well, yet have ſo poor a maintenance from thoſe ſmall Tythes, that it is not in any waies ſufficient to maintain them in any reaſonable good ſort according to the worthineſſe of their calling and pains therein. Nay they have ſo little left them that they cannot cloath themſelves in good and handſome apparell, but are inforced to go in poor and thredbare Coats in no way becomming the Miniſters of the Goſpell, and yet many of them are inforced and content to become Phyſitians, and ſome Schoole-maſters, even to teach children in their A, B, C. there­by to enlarge their poor living and for a helpe to maintain them­ſelves their wives and children, which imployments muſt needs be a great hinderance to their ſtudy in Divinity, it being a work enough for the whole man without any other, and is it not a ſhame for a rich and flouriſhing Commonwealth to have a poor and bare Mini­ſtery either in the generall or in ſome particulars, and yet into ſuch a condition Impropriations brought the Miniſtry of this Common­wealth in very many places.

The only ſtrongeſt Argument and proofe you have, or can pro­duce for Tythes is from the example of Abraham, Geneſis 14.20. Where Abraham gave to Melchiſedeck the tenth or tythe of all the ſpoile which he had taken from the Kings; from whence you ſtrive to prove that Tythes are by the Morall Law due to the Miniſtry, and not by a Ceremoniall or Leviticall Law, and therefore to be and con­tinue7 to the end of the world, and your reaſon is, and ſo you con­clude that whatſoever was ordained and in being before the in­ſtitution of the Leviticall and Ceremoniall Lawes were made, is not Leviticall but Morall and to indure for ever, as well under the Goſpell as under the Law; But we cannot find nor you can­not prove that Tythes were ordained by that example of Abra­ham, Abraham was not commanded by God to pay the tenth to Melchiſedeck, Melchiſedeck met Abraham and bleſſed him, and then Abraham gave him the tenth of the ſpoile; it is no where to be found, nor any where ſaid that Abraham paid the tenth, but that he gave it, nor is it to be found that God did command him to give, or pay the Tenth unto Melchiſedeck or to any other at any time, no nor that Melchiſedeck did require it of him, but it appeareth to be a free and voluntary act of Abraham. Neither can you find in any place that the Patri­arches before the Law, paid any Tenths or Tythes to any per­ſon untill the Leviticall Lawes were ordained, wherein God did expreſly command them, and not before. Nor can we learn by that of the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes, Heb. 7. that they were ordained at that time of Abrahams giving the Tenth to Mel­chiſedeck, nor at any time before or after, but only at the giving of the Leviticall Lawes, and therefore it may ſafely be conclu­ded they are of a Leviticall Ordination and ſo conſequently a Leviticall Law, and therefore at an end.

Had Tythes been ordained before the Leviticall Law, there would have been without doubt ſome mention made of them in one place or other, for we find no Law ordained by God and obſerved by the people but ſome mention is made of the Ordination, commanding or appointing thereof by God in ſome place or other of the holy writ; But we find that the Apo­ſtle makes it plain that Tythes ended with the Leviticall Prieſt­hood, Heb. 7.12. for the Prieſthood (ſaith he) being changed, there is made of neceſſity a change alſo of the Law, that is as much as if he ſhould ſay, the Prieſthood being changed there is alſo a change of the maintenance of the Prieſthood, and theſe words as it were a concluſion of what went before in the former verſes, what elſe can he mean by theſe words, change of the Law, as well as of the Prieſthood, but only of that Law which8 concerneth the maintenance of the Prieſthood? And how can it otherwaies be, even by common Morall reaſon, but that the ſupporter, the maintenance muſt of neceſſity be removed, be taken away, when the thing ſupported and maintained is re­moved and taken away. There cannot be continued a Leviticall maintenance for the Prieſthood, without continuing a Leviti­call Prieſthood to be by it maintained. That reverend and moſt excellent Divine M. Calvin ſaith; They are more then fooles that draw any Jewiſh Law ſo far as unto us in this time of the Goſpell, for as much as we know that all things then in uſe with the Jewes do ceaſe by the coming of Chriſt, Lib. 3. Chap. 5. you compare the Ordination of the Sabboth and the Ordination of Tythes, affirming them both to be as one, and ſay that man may as well take away Gods time, his Sabboth, as his Tythes; But ſure the Ordination of the Sabboth and Tythes was much diffe­rent; The Sabboth was ordained and commanded by God at the firſt beginning of the Creation, and after that again com­manded to Moſes in the two Tables of the Morall Law, and re­newed again by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and was ever ſince the firſt creation continued and kept both before Chriſt, and ever ſince, without any intermiſſion, ſo was not Tythes; they were ordained and commanded long after the creation, with the o­ther Leviticall Lawes, they had no other beginning but Leviti­call, neither can they have any other end, there is not one word of command for them but only in the Leviticall Law.

You ſay, you wonder with what conſcience men can detain their Tythes from their lawfull Parſon: But I demand of you with what conſcience can the Parſon take Tythes of people, there being no ſuch thing allowed in or by the Word of God? nay when the Word of God is plain againſt it, as is that Hebr. 7.12. from whence it is plain, that both the Prieſthood and the maintenance of it, is changed: Again, if Tythes were lawfull, it is but the tenth part of the increaſe; but you take the tenth of the whole crop where there is no increaſe; nay where there is a decreaſe, as for example; a man laboureth all the year long, up­on his Land, he plowes it, again and again and dungs it, and ſowes it, and weeds it, and at laſt reaps it, and when he hath9 done all this, his whole crop is not worth ſo much money, a•his labour and charges (to bring it to this maturity,) 〈◊〉•oun­teth unto; It many times happeneth that by reaſon of the bar­renneſſe of Land, or unſeaſonableneſſe of the time and ſeaſon, that the crop of harveſt is ſo mean and poor that it is not worth the coſt and charges beſtowed upon it by farre; As when a man hath beſtowed upon a crop of Wheat, or other corne, forty pounds, and when harveſt commeth, it is worth but thirty pounds, and ſometimes but twenty pounds, here is ten pounds or twenty pounds decreaſe, yet the Parſon takes away the tenth of that crop, as fully as if there were an increaſe; and ſo makes the poor Farmers loſſe greater then it would be, by ſo much as the Tythe is; If you took away but only the tenth part of the increaſe, according to the firſt inſtitution, where there is an in­creaſe it were ſomething tolerable, but you by this way you go in, take the tenth, where there is no increaſe; nay the tenth of all a mans labour, coſt, charge and care, which is no leſſe then the ſixt part; If a man beſtow forty pound on a crop of corn, and at harveſt it be worth fifty pounds, then there is ten pounds in­creaſe, whereof the tenth part which is one pound, is the Mini­ſters due, and no more if Tythes were now due, according to the firſt inſtitution.

If the tenth of all increaſe belong to the Miniſter, why then is it, that men living in Towns and follow gainfull Trades pay no Tythes at all of their increaſe? it is moſt certain that ſome men that live in Towns and follow a Trade, as Drapers, Groſ­ſers, Chandlers, Tanners, Vintners, and many others, in one year, with leſſe pains, coſt, and care, do gain more then the Far­mer doth in all his life time, which doth moſt plainly appear by their continuall buying and purchaſing of Farmers, Yeomans eſtates, even of ſuch men as are honeſt, painfull, and induſtrious in their places and Countries, and yet theſe men pay no Tythes or Tenths at all, of all their great increaſe, except it be a Pig, a few Apples, or ſome ſuch ſmall thing.

Tythes indeed were eſtabliſhed by Act of Parliament and have been ſo for many years, (but the firſt inſtitution or acting of them was i•time of Popery.) So was the Common-Prayer-Book the10 Authority of Biſhops, and other things elſe eſtabliſhed by Act of Parliament, but they are by Act and Authority of Parlia­ment, happily removed and taken away again, and ſo may Tythes alſo.

Theſe conſiderations (and not covetuouſneſſe, or any affecti­on to Independency) have moved us to this opinion, that Tithes were only Leviticall and ended with the Leviticall Prieſthood, and thereupon to refuſe the payment of them any longer, and if theſe conſiderations and many more, (which you if you pleaſe can call into remembrance,) may prevaile ſo far with you, as to convince your wills and opinions concerning Tythes, and move you and other Miniſters, to joyn in one with their people, to ſeek and ſue to the honourable Court of Parliament for a Refor­mation in this particular of Tythes, as is happily done in other particulars, and to eſtabliſh inſtead thereof ſuch a forme of main­tenance of Gods Miniſters as is moſt agreeable to Gods Word, and the practiſe of the moſt pure primitive times; So ſhould you become helpers of a through Reformation, and inſtruments of much good to Gods people; Which that you would be, is the earneſt deſire and prayer of your Pariſhioners.