JACOBS' VOW, OR THE TRUE HISTORY OF TITHES:  
A Sermon penned by RICHARD PERROT Bachelor in Divinity, Vicar of Hessell with the Trinity Chapel in Kingston upon-Hull, and sometimes Fellow of Sidney-Sussex-Colledge in CAMBRIDGE.  ZACH. 1. 4. ¶ Be ye not as your Fathers, unto whom the former Prophets have cried▪ saying; Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings▪ but th●y did not hear nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Greg. magn. lib. 7. Indict. 2 Epist. 78. ¶ In causa ●n qua Deo placere cupio, homines non formido. 
Printed by THOMAS BUCKE and JOHN BUCK, Printers to the University of CAMBRIDGE. 1627.   

❧ TO THE MOST Reverend Father in God TOBY, by the providence of God Archbishop of YORK, Primate and Metropolitan of ENGLAND.  
Most Reverend Father in God;  
THis following discourse which I make bold to commend to the World under your Grace's most favourable protection, contains the sum and substance of a S●●mon purposely studied to have been preached in your Metropolitan Church of S. Peter's in York, at the summer Assize, 16●0. To the publicat on whereof, besides the general zeal which I of duty bea●e and owe to God's house and inheritance, I have been the rather induced for these reasons following;  
First, th●t I might testify my thankfulness to God for that portion of inheritance he hath allotted me amongst the sons of Levi; that among so many that have of late endeavoured the repair of his decayed Sanctuary, and to restore unto him and his Ministers that portion o● inheritance he hath reserved to himself for them, I might bring at least stones and mortar to help forward and further so great and necessary a work.  
Secondly, that the greater Volumes of Doctor Tilseley and Mr. Montague, which in regard of the greatness of the price, and manner of handling, are not obvious to all men's hands and understandings, may by this smaller work, and plain discourse become common to all men; and so that great opinion that most men have of the unanswerablenes of Mr. Seldens' History of Tithes, may be in some measure, if not fully satisfied.  
Thirdly, to stir up not only your Grace with the rest of the Reverend Fathers of the Church, but all other truehearted Christians to further the repair of God's house, and the reducing and bringing back that portion of inheritance, by Impropriations and other means so long detained from God and his Ministers, and so procure unto him and them that due honour, love, respect, and maintenance, which his mercies, their pains and places do justly challenge at all men's hands. Never had the Ministers of God more need to urge this point then in these times, in regard both of the general opposition of men of all sorts against it and them, as also of those manifold strange disasters which have already seized upon this our Kingdom, and suspiciously h●ng over our heads. I know the seeming impossibility of reducing Impropriations and other Church's rites, due to God's house and Ministers, without great loss & damage to many particulars, hath been a just cause to hinder all well-disposed persons from attempting this so worthy and necessary a work: But if it will please your Grace, with the rest of our Reverend Bishops, now at last to assay it, I doubt not but the project may be so made, that in a short time the matter may be effected, and all Impropriations restored to the Church (this conclusion held, that all Tithes may be paid in their proper kind) without any loss or damage at all to the Laitic who now enjoy such Impropriations, without any hurt to the Church or Churchmen in general; to few, if any, in particular: but so done, that God shall be much thereby glorified, the King and Kingdom not one●y much honoured, but the revenues of the Crown increased, the Church of God in all places of these Kingdoms in a short time supplied with a sufficient and able preaching-Ministerie, the thing so much to be desired; the Gospel thereby in all places most plentifully propagated, to the rooting out of Popery and superstition, and to the da●ly increasing of God's Church and Kingdom, which without this course can never be expected.  
Fourthly, to make answer to two particulars of moment, specified and much mistaken by Mr. Selden in his History of Tithes; the one a custom within mine own Parish, grounded upon a donation of Robert de Hessell to the Monastery of Gisburne; the other within the Eastriding of Yorkshire, grounded upon a customary payment of Threaves; whereby it will appear that Mr. Selden hath not been so curious and careful in this his Masterpiece, as he would have the world believe he hath been.  
Fiftly, that I may give the World notice, who, and of what condition those Ministers have been, and still are in the Church, that have oppugned God's ●ight in his House and Tithes, and that fill the world with such like strange and idle positions. And that those men m●ght again know, that howsoever the pure worldling's fawn upon them, as the only true sanctified Churchmen in these times; yet it is not ou● of any such true conceit th●y have of them, but only to humour them up in their froward positions and doctrines; well knowing that by this means they may not only with more freedom abuse their own Pastors whom God hath set over them, detaining from them what of right and due appertains unto them; but they know that by these factious doctrines and practices, there is a gap and way made for them for time to come, to enter upon the rest of God; inheritance, yet remaining to his poor Minister's, the only forbidden fruit so much desired on all hands in these days.  
And, though last named, yet neither least nor last in my intention, that I might tender some thankful duty and service to your Grace, for those manifold favours I have from time to time received from you both before and since I was your servant, as being he alone by whose love and protection, next under God, I have not only peaceably enjoyed mine own, which otherwise had been violently extorted from me, but I have been able to help and secure my friends against the factious abetments of their adversaries and enemies. For these reasons (most Reverend Father in God) have I made bold to publish this following discourse, the which together with my person, I commend unto your Grace's protection; no ways doubting but as it hath always pleased your Grace ever since my coming into your Diocese, even before I was your servant, to countenance me and my poor labours fare beyond their desert; so now you will double your favour and protection both upon me and them: for which I shall be ever bound to double my most hearty prayers to God for your Grace's health and happiness: that God would grant you long life, and happy days on earth; and after this life fullness of joy at his right hand for evermore. In the mean time I shall ever rest  
Your Grace's most truly bounden, and no less h●mbly devoted Chaplains, R. P. Bi●hop-●hor●● Kal. Ma●● Ann. Salut. 1621.   

To the Reader.  
GOod ' Reader, six years agone this discourse was s●●shed, since which time it ha●l lame at the Press l●ke the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, not for want of friend, to put it in, but for want of Angels to move the P●nters waters Had it been some idle Pampblet, or foisted Coranto ●● false or ill news, it w●uld have found Midwives to baslen it into the world; and though it had suffered abortion, and come. maimed forth as most of them do, yet should it not have wanted welcomers & entertainers. But such is the ● iserie of these times, such the evi●● will that ●ren bear generally to God's Zion that even those men who can suck gain out of the most idl● and scurry out subjects, dare not attempt to print a●y thing o● this nature, for fear of loss and damage. The consideration whereof made me oftentlmes resolve to relinquish all further prosecution of the Press, as expecting but poor entertainment at their hands who must pay for my labours, when those that were likely to gain by them, for some sinister respects seemeds slight them. But having at the length by the industry of ●● friends found out those, who out of their true love to God & his inheritance, were content to venture their pains & Press, if I ●urst hazard my cred ●; beside, considering the ma●sold evil of later times befallen our Kingdoms, and greater in likely hood to be expected, is not ●●ma●y prevented, and being in conscience persuaded that the sin●● of S●c●iledge hath been, an is no so all cause both of the one and of the other; I have not feared to commit these labours to thy religious and charitable centure: wherein if I haved me any thing that may terd●● the glory of God, the honour and welfare of my King and Country, I have my desire: If I have failed in mine own, and not given satisfaction to others desires, it is an error proceeding from the duty I own to God & my Sovereign, & the love I bear to my Country; not any ways out of humorous disconten's, as maliguing or envying at any thing either in the public or private state, or hoping to glean either private game or popular applause: So that I dare say, if what I have made bold to write, be read, considered, and accepted with as true & sincere an heart as it was first studied, and is now commended to the world, I doubt not but it will work that true effect I wish and desire, glory to God, honour to my King, & happiness to my Country: for the least whereof as I prise not my life, so have I not feared for them all to hazard my credit. When this discourse was first studied, it was fitted for a Sermon, and fashioned at all points accordingly; but being by God's providence prevented therein, and by the entreaty of friends drawn to commend it to public view; I drew it out into a longer tract, fitting it accordingly to the general times as then they were: since which time, the times themselves altering, so have I been forced to alter many particular circumstances, whereby this discourse is much shortened of that perfection, which happily had been found therein, if it had been published when it was first intended: So that in reading hereof thou must consider some things as spoken from the pulpit, others as in story, and those spoken as the times than were; yet so as thou makest application from time to time unto this present: which if thou performest with a good eye and honest, heart, thou shalt credit me, and profit thyself; which curteses if thou ●onchsafe me, I shall have my expected desire, and rest ever  
Thine R. P.   
GENES. 28. VERS. 20, 21, 22. 
And jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,  
So that I come again to my father's house in peace: then shall the Lord be my God;  
And this stone which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee.  
THis Text relates unto us an holy vow, made by an holy man, (even the Israel of God) to the Holiest of Holyests, even the Holy one of Israel: in the handling whereof (not to speak more of vows then my Text shall naturally aftord me) these four generals offer themselves to our consideration.  
I. Quis, the person vowing, JACOB; and jacob vowed.  
II. Cui, the person to whom the vow was vowed, God; If God will be with me.  
III. Quale, the kind and quality of this vow, which is conditional; If God will be with me, then shall the Lord be my God, etc.  
FOUR Quid, the materials of the vow, or things vowed:  
Which are three;  
1. That he would acknowledge the Lord for his God.  
2. For a testimony of this acknowledgement, that stone which he had set up should be called God's house.  
3. For the better maintenance of God's house and worship therein, he would give unto the Lord the tenth of all, whatsoever the Lord should give unto him.  
And first of the person; vovebat jacob, jacob the son of Isaac and Rebecca, two holy persons; and although the younger brother by birth, yet the elect and chosen heir 
Gen. 25. 23.  unto all those blessed promises which God made to Abraham and his seed, and that whilst he was yet unborn: A most just, upright, and religious man, who for his uprightness and power with God, obtained the conquering name of Israel; from whence the people of God the jews 
Gen. 32. 23.  afterward took their name. This holy man jacob, making request unto God for the accomplishment of what God had promised, the better to bind himself to obedience, and to testify his thankfulness, makes this vow mentioned here in this Text: An action and duty, as commendable in jacob, manifesting him a right religious and thankful person; so is it in the practice of all Christians: it being not only lawful, but expedient, that as we pray unto God for his mercies; so to vow, not only the performance of the general vow of Christianity; but the better to b●nde us to obedience, and to testific the truth of our thankfulness to vow the performance of some particular action, whether indifferent, or commanded, when it shall please the Lord graciously to hear us, and answer us according to our requests. Thus did jacob here, thus Hannah, thus Paul, and divers others of God's Saints 
Sam. 1. 1●. Act. 18. 18.  in all ages.  
True it is, that we deny the use of vows according to the doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome.  
As first, we deny that there is now, or ever was, any necessity of making vows in external exercises and 
Deut. 13. 22.  out ward things.  
Secondly, we deny that vows made of things not commanded, as meats, drinks, attire, &c, are essential parts of God's worship; much less that they bring a man to an higher estate of perfection, then keeping of the Law can do. We acknowledge them adminicula cultus divini, certain staics and helps in God's worship, not ipsum cultum, the worship itself; the kingdom of God not con sisting in eating and drinking, nor in external, but in spiritual 
Rom. 14. 17.  worship.  
Thirdly, we deny the necessity of keeping and performing vows made, especially if they be repugnant to the rules prescribed for vows, holding that rule of Isiodore 
Isiod. Hispal. lib. 2. Sinon. cap. 10. Isiod. l'clus. lib. ●. Ep. 96.  infallibly true, In malis promissis rescinde sidem, in turpi voto muta decretum, better to fail in a wicked promise then to perform, better to change an unlawful vow then to keep it: yea, vows being made the better to enable us for God's service, though the thing vowed were lawful in our first act of vowing, yet finding them afterwards an hindrance to the duties of God's worship, we may justly and lawfully cease further to perform and keep them; according to the saying of the said Isiodore; Quod inca●te 
Isied. Hisp. ibid.  vovisti ne facias; impia est promissio quae cum scelere adimpletur.  
Lastly, we deny the vows so frequently made and magnified by Papists to be just and lawful: such is the vow of perpetual chastity and single life, the vow of voluntary poverty, and Monastique life, etc. and lastly, the vow of pilgrimage for visiting the holy city and sepulchre, the shrines and relics of Saints; as being altogether repugnant to those rules and conditions required to make a vow lawful.  
For he that will make vows pleasing unto God (and so lawful) must be sure that they be grounded upon, and regulated by these particular rules and canons following.  
1. They must be de rebus lititis & de necessariis, of 
C●pr. lib. 1. ●p. ●.  things lawful and warrantable by the word of God: for the word of God being the ground of our faith, and whatsoever we do without faith being sin; our vows must necessarily be founded thereupon. Again I say de necessarus, not usually, not frequently, but in case of eminency and necessity; vows being premissiones ardenter orantis, promises made at the begging extraordinary blessings and graces at the hands of God.  
2. They must be made considerately with deliberation 
Hiecon. in histor. I●ph●a Eccl●s. 5. 1. 2  and advise, not rashly and headily; so Solomon, Keep thy foot when thou go●st into the house of God, be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy bear't be hasly to utter a thing before God.  
3. They must be made of such things which are in our own power to do, and that sub conditione auxilii divini 
〈◊〉 ●. Hisp ib , under the condition of God's help and assistance: it being he only that makes us able both to will and to do of 
●hil. 2. 13.  his good pleasure.  
4. They must be correspondent and agreeable to our general vow of Christianity, and be made the better to help us in the performance of the same; as when we vow to do some things, or to abstain from some things in their own nature lawful, as wine, sleep, or the li●e, either to take pan●shment on ourselves for some sins committed, or to prevent sin for the time to come, or to enable us the better for God's service, or to testific our thankfulness to God for such blessings as we receive from him: as jacob here in my text.  
5. They must be spontanea, done with cheerfulness and alacrity; for hilarem datorem diligit D●us, God only 
●▪ Cor. 9 7.  loves a cheerful giver.  
6. The person vowing must be a jacob, a person sanctified, a believing Christian; in that, first Abel's person 
Gen. 4. 4. Hebr. 11. 6.  must be accepted before his sacrifice, and without faith it is impossible to please God.  
These be the particular canons required in all vows; by all which if you will examine the forenamed Popish vows as they are in use and practise amongst them, we shall find them altogether repugnant to them, and so altogether unjustifiable, either in doctrine or in practice. But when vows are regulated by these rules and conditions, then may a Christian lawfully vow them, and being vowed must faithfully perform them.  
2. The second general considerable in this vow is Cui, the person to whom jacob vowed this vow: where it is remarkable that he doth not make it to any of the Angels whom he saw ascending and descending by the ladder reaching to heaven; but he makes his vow unto God, and that not to any of the Idol gods of the Gentiles, but to the God of his forefathers, who appeared unto him on the top of the ladder, and made so large and loving promise of love and protection unto him.  
And indeed in thus vowing did jacob vow aright; for howsoever the making of vows be no essential part of God's worship, binding all men to perform them; yet when they are made, they may not without sacrilege be made to any but God alone.  
Thus the Scripture, DEUT. 23. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thoushalt not slack to pay it. and PSAL. 76. 11. Vovete & reddite Domino D●o vestro.  
And howsoever the Church of Rome doth practise the contrary, yet do they confess the same in doctrine: for 
●, Can. 2. Cap. de voto  thus the Canon law defines a vow, ut Deo dicat factam esse promissionem, a promise made unto God. And Peter Lombard (with whom agree the Schoolmen) quòd sit testificatio 
Thom. 2. 2. q. 83. art. 1.  promissionis spontanea, qua Deo, & de his q●● De● sunt, sieri debet, it is the testification of a free promise made unto God of such things as appertain to his special worship.  
And divers reasons may be alleged for the proof of this conclusion.  
1. To those only must we vow, to whom only we must pray; vows being promissiones ardenter orantis: but we must pray to God, and to him alone. 
Psal 5. 15.   
2. To him only must we vow, of whom all good things are obtained; vows being made for the obtaining some blessings at the hands of God: but every good giving 
jam. 1. 17.  and perfect gift comes from God, and him alone.  
3. To him only must we vow, who knows our hearts if we vow aright, and is able to punish us if we fail to perform: but God is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and to 
Acts: 1. 21. Hcbr. 1●.  him only doth vengeance belong: To him then, and to him only must we make our vows.  
And here we justly meet with another implety in practice in the Church of Rome, who as they invocate and 
Bellar. Tom. 2. c. 14. ●itu. demo●●●h●s I●●m ●i●. 3. de cults san●●●●●. cap. 9  pray to the Saints departed, so no less do they make vows unto them; and having vowed, do no less strictly, nay oftimes more carefully perform them then the vows made to God himself. Thus one vows to the Virgin Marie, another to Saint Clare, one to Saint Francis, another to Saint Thomas, one to Saint Katherine, another to Saint Clement; yea we may not only say in this point of them as jeremiah of the Israelites, according to 
I●●●●● 11. 13.  the number of thy cities were thy gods O ludah; nor yet only as it was said of the Romans, that singulae professiones habebant propria Numina quibus vovebant, every profession had their several Deity to whom they vowed; but quot bumines ●ot Numina, almost as many Sain●s as particular men, yea as particular occasions. They have Men-Saints, & Women-Saints, Land-Saints, & Sea-Saints, etc. yea for every sickness, malody. and disease, whether of man or beast, they have some particular Saint unto whom they pray and vow upon obtaining that they pr●y for.  
Neither have they only particular Saints, but they have their Nationall Saints; to whom as they a●ct be a power of protection, so do they both pray and vow unto them. Thus have they Saint Dennis for France, Saint Iames s●r Spame, Sairt Paterick for l●cland, etc. only ●oore Saint George for England have they thrust out of the calendar of Saints. In which particular as we cannot but laugh at their nalier and envy, yet have we just cause to praise God for the same; who hath turned their mahce to our Saint George, to the manifestation of the truth of our profession: this being our conclusion, That how soever there be Gods many and Lords many; some by 
1. Cor. 2. 5. 6.  adoption, as Kings; some by nuncupation, as idols etc. yet to u● there is but one God the father, of whom are all things and we in him, and one Lord lesus Christ, by wh me are all things and we by him; and to this God alone, one in essence, three in persons, God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, do we pray and make our vows, as our Saviour, Sanctifier, Feeder, and Protector; and to him and his honour only, being vowed, do we faithfully perform them.  
3. The third general is quale v●tum, of what kind and quality this vow of la●ob is. And here not to stand upon the distuction of vows, this by the consent of all is of that kind which they call conditional: If God will be with me etc.  
But when If y●t is a vow made sub conditione, we must not un●●●stan● it, as if it were c●nd●ti● obliganti●, an obligatory conduction as ●f he would not perform this vow unl●●●● God performed the condition: neither is it cond●tio dissi ●●●●is, as ●f▪ ●● mistrusted that God would not ●●●forme what he he● promised, unless he made this vow: but it is condi●io co●side ●●i● & gratitudints, a condition confident thankfulness, a prayer and vow no wa●es arising out of fear and distrust, but out of a full assurance of faith: being fully persuaded that God would p●●f●●●e what he had promised, he is not only bold to beggest Gods hands for them; but out of ●● a●urance to obtain them, he promises by w●●●● thankfulness, that when that time should ●ome, he would then perform what he here particularly vowed.  
From whence, by the way, we may see the nature and prope●●ie of true faith most lively expressed, that it is (as the Apostle tells us) the substence of things hoped for, 
H●b ●●. ●.  and the evidence of things not sec●●. It makes things that were & are not, as if they were; & things many years yet to come, as if they were present. Thus lacob relying upon the promise of God, and believing his word, doth presently assure himself of the enjoying, and no less confidently doth he promise the employing a part of them to God's worship, as if they had been present with him.  
But to come to the particulars of lacobs request (the conditional part of this vow) which are four, answerable to his need and distressed;  
1. W● reas he was now to leave and forsake his father's house, wherein at that time the true worship and service of God was only established and professed; so that he should be deprived of all ordinary means of knowledge in spiritual things: he desires that God would be with him extraordinarily t● illuminate him with knowledge, and to conten●e upon him all manner of saving graces.  
2. Whereas by the malice of his brother he was enforced to this solitaire journey, whereby he was exposed to more than usual dangers he desires God's special protection, both against his brother's malice, and all other dangers.  
3. Because ●e was ●● go● into a f●rr● Country, and knew not what might be his entertainment, and that without things necessary no man can live; he desires of God that he would provide him bread to eat, and  to put on.  
4. Lastly, his father's family being not only the then present Church of God, but that land where he dwelled being the land of promise, the type and figure of the heavenly Canaan; he desires that God would in his good time return him thither again safe and found.  
From all which particular requests of jacob, we may briefly observe these general instructions following:  
First, that he that would have any blessing from God, must beg it by humble and hearty prayer; yea, though God hath in a special manner made promise thereof unto him. Thus jacob having but immediately before my Text received God's promise for all these things, yet here he makes together with a vow a request unto God for them.  
And the reasons hereof are divers:  
1. Because God requires the use of the means as fully as he promiseth the end●; but prayer is the means ordained by God for the obtaining of his blessings: Ask 
Matt. 7. 7.  and ye shall have, seek etc. Hence it is called by the Fathers, Rete gratiarum, situlagratie, clavis coeli, etc.  
2. The better to put us in mind of our wants, and to make us acknowledge from whom we receive what in this life we enjoy, a thing which we are ready to forget.  
3. By prayer both the things themselves we receive, 
1. Tim. 1. 5.  and our persons are sanctified; they unto us, and we unto them: and so we receive and enjoy them with more comfort and profit.  
Secondly, here we learn that a Christian may lawfully beg, not only for spiritual blessings, but for benefits temporal: and the reason thereof (amongst others) is this; because without a competency of them, we cannot well perform spiritual 〈◊〉 and duties, that being in●all●l●● 〈…〉 Po●t, as we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Morality,  

●au 〈◊〉 ●mergunt, quorum virtu●●bus obstat  
R●● angusta dom.—   
Our own experience daily ●eaching us this truth; that where there is a want of competency for maintenance, there is but small growth in the knowledge of God, and duties of godliness.  
Thirdly, hence we learn, qu● mensur●, in what measure we may and must pray for temporal things: not for supers●●itie and abundance, but only for th●ngs necessary: for ●acob requests not for variety of dishes, or change of raiment; but only for bread to eat and  to put on: And the same lesson Paul gives, when he exhortes us not to ask supers●uitie, but having food and raiment there 
〈…〉.  withal to be content: and so our Saviour implies, when he teaching us to pray, bids us only pray for our daily bread: Cui parum non est satis, nihil est satis, him that a sufficiency 
〈…〉 〈◊〉.  sufficeth not, nothing will content. In the begging therefore temporal blessings, if we will so ask as to receive, we must either pray with Agu●, Give us Lord neither poverty 
Prov. 3●. 8.  nor riches, but ●eede us with food convenient for us; or with jacob in my text, for bread to eate, and  to put on.  
Fourthly, hence we learn, quo ordine, in what order we are to pray for temporal blessings: not in the first place before spiritual; but first with jacob here for spiritual, then for temporal: thus Christ in teaching us to pray, directs us first to pray that God's name may be hallowed etc. and then to pray for daily bread; and Matth. 6. Quarite primùm regnum Dei etc. seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, etc. And this order is observable in the method of Isaac's blessing his two sons jacob and Esau; where blessing jacob he first blesseth him with the dew of heaven, and then with the fatness of the 
〈◊〉. 〈◊〉.  earth, as being the nature of heavenly minds to prefer heavenly ●●●ngs before earthly: but 〈◊〉 blessing Esau, he blesseth him first with the fatness of the earth, and then with the dew of heaven; this being their song, Quarend● pecuma 〈◊〉 est, first seek gold, then God.  
Lastly, in that jacob requests here at God's hands for all these particulars; hence we learn, that without God's special blessing we cannot provide for ourselves the least things necessary for this 〈◊〉; but whatsoever we have and enjoy, we have it from God and him alone: thus S. james tells u● that we receive all things from above from 
jam. 1. ●7.  the Father of lights, aswell the good 〈◊〉, as the perfect g●●t▪ he being the author not only of blessings spiritual, but of bencht temporal▪ giving not only grace to obey his will but as the Psalmist speaks, Dat ●●●am corum, he 
●sal 145. 15 〈◊〉 9 11.  gives us meat ●n due season; and Solomon tells us, non est pants 〈◊〉, be a man never so wise yet he is not able of himself to supply his own wants, no not so much as with bread; it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, nor in him that planteth, nor in him that watereth; 
2. Cor. 9 10.  sed ipse est qui dat semen s●●●ent●, & pavem manducan●●, he gives us both seed to sow, and he it is that likewise gives us bread again of that seed: and without his blessing all our labour is but lost, and all we get put into a 
H●●●. 6.  broken ba●ge.  
The use of all which, in a word, is to make us acknowledge our own wants and weakness, and to cast our care upon God, as our only helper; to pray unto him in that measure, after that manner and order, and to that end, as he hath prescribed; and having obtained at God's hands such mercies and blessings as we requested from him, let 
1. 〈◊〉. 29. 14  us confess with David, that whatsoever we have received, we have received 〈◊〉 at God's hands; and in token of our true thankfulness, with jacob hear▪ vow unto him not only ourselves, but a part of that he shall or hath given us, to his special honour and service.  
And thus come we to the last general part of this text, namely, the matter of jacobs' vow, or the things particularly vowed; Then shall the Lord be my God, etc.  
In which general, jacob vows 3 particulars.  
1. That the Lord shall be his God. 2. That that pillar should be called God's house. 3. Because God's worship and service could not be performed without maintenance, he vows that of all whatsoever God should give him, he would surely give a tenth unto God again. In the first he vows inward, in the two latter outward worship; in the first he vows himself, in the two latter his labour and goods.  
Then shall the Lord be my God: that is, then will I fear God, and him above all; then will I love God, and him above all; then will I acknowledge God to be the guider, governor, and giver of all things; of whom I have received whatsoever I shall possess: and as I will put my trust in him and him alone; so will I pray unto him, and him only for whatsoever I shall need. This I take to be the sense and meaning of the words in general. Neither must we understand these words spoken the futuro only, as if jacob did not in present acknowledge the Lord for his God; but jacob vowing this particular, vows the performance of a double duty necessary to be observed in the practice of all Christians in the manner of rendering thankes to God for his blessings.  
First, with what kind of worship he would first and principally labour to manifest his thankfulness; namely, as he begged first at God's hands for spiritual blessings, so he would principally labour to manifest the truth of his thankfulness by rendering unto God the inward devotion and spiritual worship of his heart and soul, as being that which God principally requires, and without which all the duties we perform are no ways pleasing unto him, he being, as Saint Ambrose well observeth, non corticis sed cordis Deus, Lord not only of the body, but chief & 
H●b●. 〈◊〉. 9 〈◊〉 4. 24. 〈◊〉 23. 26 〈◊〉 13●. 1 〈◊〉 ●. 46. 47.  principally of the soul; he being not only Pater spirituum, but himself a spirit; and therefore must be worshipped in spirit and truth; thus wisdom exhorts, thus David promiseth, thus the blessed Virgin practised, and thus must all Christians f●llow. FILI MI, my son give me thy heart, it must be the soul●● m●g●●●icat, the spirits re●oycing, with the special parts of God's worship proper to the same, whereby and wherewith we must first and principally praise God our Saviour, Feeder and Protector.  
Secondly, jacob in vowing this particular, voweth what should be the extent and continuation of his thankfulness; namely, that the Lord shoaled not now only be his God, when he stood ●n want and necessity, when he stood in extraordinary need of his help; but even then when God should bestow these mercies in such abundance that he should have whatsoever he needed, or could desire, yet then should the Lord be his God: nay further, his thankfulness shall be answerable to God's mercy and blessings: the more G●d trusted him with his mercies, the more would he put his trust and confidence in God; again, the more God manifested his love towards him in feeding him with his goodness, the more would he love and serve God again; the more God acknowledged him for his 〈◊〉 by multiplying his blessings upon him, the more would he fear, 〈◊〉, and obey him, and with more confidence and assurance pray unto him; yea than he would not only give unto God the inward devotion of his soul, bu● he wo●●d labour to testify his thankfulness before men, by doing and performing these outward actions of building God an house, and of paying unto God a part, a tenth of a●l that he should receive from him.  
The which two particulars in jacobs' practice, as they serve for a patterned. precedent to all men in the rendering of thankes unto God for his blessings (these particular practices in him being recorded for our instruction and example); so serve they to rip up and lay open the great impiety and unthankefulnes of these days; wherein as men offend against the first of these rules (our general profession of religion, and Christianity, and practise of holy duties, consisting more in shadow and colour, then in truth and substance, more in the outward duties, then in the inward truth and sincerity of our heart●); so do we most evidently testify the same in sinning against the sec●nd rule observable in Ia●obs practice; being so fare from this constancy, from this squaring our thankfulness answerabl●t▪ God's mercies, that God may more truly say of us then 〈◊〉 of the jews, ailectus meu● imp ●guatus 
Deut. 3●. 15  recalcitravit. my beloved waxing sat spurned with his he●le against me. Never any Nation an● people so abundantly blest with all manner of blessings, never any people walking so rebelliously and stubbor●●ly against God: our times being no w●it unlike the times of the jews, whereof the Prophet Isaiah complains, for we have drunk i● 
job. ●5. ●6. Isaiah. 5. 18  iniquity like water, and drawn sin with cart-ropes; being drunken, nay drowned▪ not only in the particular sins of our own Nation; but we have drunk so deeply of the sins of all o●●●r Nations that we exceed them in their wickedness; so that we may s●y more tru●ly of these our times, then Saint Bernard of his, that empar● per●culosa n●● modo instant, said extant, the perilous times spoken of by ou● Saviour Christ are not only instant but extant. Charity 
Mitth. ●4.  never ●ore cold, iniquity in all places, amongst all sorts, ranks, & degrees never more abounding. I sh●ll ●ot need to particularise: our sins are w●i●ten ●n o●r faces and ●n cur apparel; they are written in our going; they ar● written on our tables, in ou● tra●●s, o● ou● wives, children & servants▪ our tongues boldly talk them▪ ou● h●nds confidently act them, our feet r●nn● swiftly to the execution of them, and our bodies evidently show them in ugly, putrified, and loathsome diseases; yea there is not one sin that any member can act or contract, whether against God or man, that is not in a shameful manner, and with an high hand committed in these our days: all which give us just cause to fear, that as we are fallen into those evil times Christ prophesied should happen in the latter days; so the evils threatened in those times should speedily fall upon us: the which that we may prevent, let us with all speed call to mind God's manifold mercies from time to time multiplied upon us, and proportion our thankfulness according to the same; let us acknowledge with jacob, the Lord to be our God; and in token that we do● it from our hearts, let us make it apparent by our outward actions; as specially with jacob, by building God's house, and returning to God the tenth of what he shall give us, for the better maintenance of his worship and service therein.  
And thus we come to the two last particulars vowed here by jacob, which I will jointly handle together.  
The first is that that stone which he had then reared should be called God's house, that is, the place where he would publicly worship God, and offer sacrifice.  
The second, that he would give a tenth unto God for the maintenance of this his worship; and that not of some part of his goods, as of his estate personal, or predial; but of all whatsoever God shall give him, he would surely give the tenth unto God again. Totum quod es debes ei ● quo habes omnia: as all that we have either concerning soul or body we receive it from God, and from him alone, so ought we to testify our thankfulness with all that we have; it being not sufficient, as Augustine hath well observed, that we serve God totis votis, with the inward devotion of the heart alone; but we must serve and worship him totis vobis, even in and with the performance of those outward actions he requires at our hands, with our bodies, and our goods: nay as we say of faith and works, There may be works without faith, though not properly goo● yet wheresoever there i● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be evident in the practice of good wo●●●●: so howsoever there may be the outward worship without the inward, yet it the inward be sincere, it will manifest itself in the duties of outward worship: if the heart once s●y, ve●●te, ●●orenn●●, 
〈◊〉. 95. ●.  com● l●t us worship; the tongue and knee w●ll presently answer, ●●i●m & genua s●●l●amus, let us knelt likewise and fall down before God: if David's heart be once fixed and 
Ps●●. 1●8.  prepared, his lu●e and harp will be called presently to awake to join in the worship of God with him: and if lacob once acknowledge the Lord for his God, he will presently resolve to build him an house, and vow unto him a tenth of all that God shall give unto him.  
But to pass from this general to the particulars here vowed: where from jacobs' practice in ●y text, I lay down this conclusion, necessary in the knowledge and practice of all Christians, That the best actions we can do (respecting outward worship) to testify o●r thankfulness to God for those extraordinary blessings we daily receive from him, is to build, repair, and maintain Churches and Chappells, places for the public worship and service of God, and duly and truly to pay unto God the teeth of whatsoever God shall b●stow upon u●, for maintenance of his Ministers, for the performance of the parts of his worship and service therein.  
The truth of which conclusion will appear evident by the precepts of God & practise o● God's Saints in all ages, both before the law, under the law, and since, in the times of the Gospel. Before the law, we have the examples of 
Gen. ●. 2●. 〈◊〉 ●3. ●8. & 28. ●●. & 35. 1.  all the patriarchs, who always erected altars in all places where they abode, for the offering of sacrifices, and the performance of other parts of public worship, and that by God's special command: as when the ●ord had brought the children of Israel by a strong hand out of Egypt, and delivered them safe from their enemy's hands; the first and principal thing God requires at their hands, 
〈◊〉 25▪ 2.  by w●y of thankfulness, was the building of the tabernacle; and ●eing built he gives command, L●VIT. 19 30. and 26. 2. that they should keep his Sabbaths, an ireverence his Sanctuary, pr●mising great blessings upon so doing; & as God commanded, so they laboured to testify their love & thankfulness by their bountiful offering to that work. When the Lord h●d delivered David out of all h●s troubles, and had settled him in peace in his kingdom, he chooseth this as the chiefest argument to testify his love and thankfulness, the building of a settled temple; and therefore makes a solemn vow, and binds it with an oath, that he will not enter into the tabernacle of his house, nor come upon 
●sa●. 132.  on the pallet of his bed, nor suffer his eyes to sleep, nor his head to take any rest, until● he had ●ound out a place, an house for the God of jacob. When God had settled Solomon his son in his father's kingdom, and had made him many promises of mercy and protection: where begins he to testify 
●. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 5.  his thankfulness, but in building the temple, which his father had promised, and from which he was by God prohibited? And of all his worthy acts, and honourable epithets, none doth more commend him then the building of the temple▪ solomon's TEMPLE.  
When Cyrus ●ame once to know, and understand, that it was the God of Isra●l that had given him victory over 
〈◊〉. 3.  all ●is enemies, and made him triumph over so many Nations and K●ngdomes, presently in token of thankfulness he releaseth th● I●we, out of captivity, commands them with all speed to re●d●●●e the Temple, restoring not only all the v●ss●ls which Nebuchadn●zzar had carried away, but commanding it should be built at the charges of his own treasury: And both Cy●us, Darius, and Artaxerxes (all which three had their hands in the work) have their histories recorded by the Spirit of God, to their high renown, and everlasting memory. When the jews come to entreat Christ, that he would go and heal the Centurion's servant, what argument do they bring to move Christ, but that he loved their Nation? And how do they 
Luk 7. 5.  prove it? He had built them a Synagogue. And as for latter ages in the time of the Gospel, witness all the curious and wel-built Churches and Chapels throughout all the parts of Christendom, which have been built by the Saints of God, as arguments of their zeal and devotion, and in thankfulness to God for his blessings conferred upon them. Neither have we the practice of the Saints alone, but the very heathen, who have always accounted the erecting of Temples as works of greatest holiness, and as testimonies of greatest thankfulness to the Deities; all their Temples being either memoriae sacra, or honori dedicata, built and dedicated to the honour of their idol gods, and by way of thankful remembrance for such benefits they conceited they received from and by them. And as God hath commanded, and men out of the light both of religion and nature have accounted the erecting, repairing, and maintaining the places of God's worship, as arguments of true devotion and thankfulness to God for his extraordinary mericies; so no less hath God from time to time commanded: no le●●e careful have men in all ages been to endow them and their Ministers with large and liberal maintenance, and that with jacob here, by giving a tenth of all that God from time to time bestowed upon them. Thus the Lord, EXOD. 21. 29 D●cimas tuas & primitias tuas, etc. Thoushalt not delay to offer thy tithes, the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors; the first borne of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. LEU. 27. 30. All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lords, it is holy unto the Lord. LEVIT. 27. 32. And concerning the ●ithe of the heard● or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under therod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. NUMB. 18. 20. 21. Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them; I am thy part and thine inheritance: and behold I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation. In all which places we find God claiming the tithes to be his; & that not only ●ure creationis, by right of creation, nor jure potestatis, because he hath the disposing of all; for so the whole is Gods: but jure proprietatis & reservationis, in respect of the very propriety thereof, and by way of reservation; because, having given all the rest to the sons of men, he hath reserved unto himself the tenth to bestow where he will; and that he hath bestowed on the Minister serving at the altar. And hence it is, that MALAC. 3. 8. 9 10. the Prophet tells the people, they were cursed with a curse, because they had rob God in not paying their tithes a●d offertags. And for the practice of God's Saints; witness Abraham and jacob before the law, the practice of the jews under the law throughout their tribes and generations, so long as they walked uprightly with God, and went not a whoring after their own inventions. For witness here of take one for all▪ 2. CHRO. 31. the practice of the jews under the Reign and reformation of Hezekiah: wherein four things are remarkable;  
1. That so soon as ever Hezekiah had destroyed idolatry, and ostablished the true worship of God, in the next place he takes order for the people's payment of tithes, first fruits, & offerings; as being that without which Gods worship was not perfect, nor God truly praised, vers. 4.  
2. The people's readiness and liberal bounty in the performance of this duty, vers. 5. 6. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought i● abundance, the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey▪ & of all th● increase of the field etc. intimating that where the worship of God is sincere, there tithes are willingly and readily paid.  
3. The reason alleged by the Priest why and how so great and abundant store was in so short a time gathered together; namely, that since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, the Lord add blessed his people; teaching us that the paying of tithes increaseth Gods blessings, and Gods blessings increasing aught to make us increase in that duty. vers. 9 10.  
4. Though there was plenty and abundance, more than the present need required▪ yet Hezekiah & his Princes did not cause it to be carried into their private treasuries and storehouses; but commanded it should be kept for the use and benefit of the Priests & Levites in the store-house of the Temple, verse 11. 12. If any shall object that this was for the second tithe only, not for the tithe of inheritance; I answer, if they were so strict in the payment of this tithe, which was a second full supernumerary tithe ov●● and above the first; then much more in the payment of the first, which God challengeth as his right of inheritance, & which they never omitted to pay when the other were generally neglected, as may be gathered, NEHEMIAH 13.  
Neither is the Gospel without either precept or practice for the necessary performance of this duty; witness the manner of Christ his reproving the Scribes and Pharises, MATT. 23. 2●. where he infers a necessity of tithing, even in the smallest matters, whether we understand the phrase actively or passively, either in the payer or receiver▪ Woe unto you Scrib●● and Phari●●●, Hypocrites; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for you pay tithe of mint, and anise, and c●mmine, & have omitted the we●ghti●● matters of the I●●●; judgement, mercy, and faith: These things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other un●one. Neither will it suffice to ob●ect against the text, that the Ceremonial law was then in force, and so Christ ●ight 〈◊〉 command it: for first, how will they answer that distinction of Augustine; Cae●em●nta 
〈◊〉 ●9. ●●●. 2.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christum n●c 〈◊〉 ●ra●●, nec mortif●rae; ●ost pr●mu●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & mort●● 〈◊〉 mortiferae; inter 〈◊〉 n●●m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promulgationem, 〈◊〉, s●● non mor●i●●r●, The ceremonies of the ●●we before Christ were neither de●●, nor dea●ly; after the promulgation of the Gospel's, 〈◊〉 d●●d, and deadly; betwixt Christ's passion and the promulgation of the Gos●ell, dead, but not deadly? Where by the passion of Christ we understand, not his passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his suffering upon the cross, when he breathed out, together with his consummatum est, his life; but the whole time of his suffering here upon earth, especially from the time of john the Baptists beginning to preach, and Christ his Baptism: at what time the ceremonies 
〈◊〉. 1. 2. 〈◊〉. 103. 〈◊〉. ●.  of the law began to be dead quoad necessitatem, in regard of the necessary observance of them; howsoever quoad co●vente●●ia & vinculum charitatis, in respect of conveniency and to avoid scandal, the observation of them was not deadly; according to that of Christ, MATT. 11. 13. All the Law & the Prophet's prophesica until joha▪ and that of Paul GAL. 3. 24. 25. The law was our Schoolmaster to Christ, but after that ●●rth ●s come we are no more under the Schoolmaster. Where by the 〈◊〉 and the Prophets is understood tot● Mo●is politia se●●conomia, & const●tu●io Sacerdotii, the whole regiment of Moses Law, not only Ceremonial an● judicial, but Moral likewise, so fare forth as it was to be abrogate, together with the I equal Preisthood; ●o that if Christ had held the payment of tithes as a duty of the Ceremonial law, he would never have set a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon them, and have taught them as a duty necessary, which ought to be done, and not left undone.  
But that I may remove all scruple, in the second place let us consider that our Saviour Christ makes not the payment of these tithes a Ceremonial law, but a Moral, yea an Evangelicall law, of the same nature with judgement, mercy, and faith; distinguishing them only secundum magis & minus; which, as Logicians teach truly, non variant speciem, differ not the kind. Besides this of Christ, Paul 1. COR. 9 proves by nine forcible arguments the necessity of the Ministers maintenance now in the time of the Gospel, & how it ought to be done. An● GALAT. 6. 6. seconding jacobs vow in this place, Let him that is taught communicate unto him that teacheth, not in some particular kind, nor yet in gross a competency out of the whole; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in all his goods, or in all good things. And as for practise, witness the liberality of the Saints in the very days of the Apostles; who are said to sell all they 
Act. 4.  had and to lay the price at the Apostles feet, for their maintenance, and relief of the poor distressed brethren. And in succeeding a●es as the Churches increased and obtained peace, so did the Saints according to the rule of God's word, and practise of the Saints, establish a settled maintenance of tithes for God's Ministers, as that portion of inheritance which God had allotted them, and which might not be detained without sacrilege. The truth 
Consul Doctore Tile●ley in cattle  whereof will appear by the unanimous consent of all the ancient and truly religious Fathers of the Church in all ages, with the general practice of the Saints in all places, where and so long as religion was purely and sincerely taught and professed. Neither have we only the consent of holy Church both in doctrine and practice, but of the very heathen, enforcing the necessity of this duty; Thus Festus, as epitomised by Paulus Diaconus, speaking of the customs of the Romans, tells us that decima quaeque veteres Diis suis offerebant, the ancient gave tithe of all unto their Gods. I know the Tithes-Historian together with joseph Scaliger, fear not to accuse Paulus Diaconus of barbarism and falsification of Festus, and to correct his authority; the one putting out quaeque, and so denies the generality of tithes of all things given by all men, restraining both persons and tithes to some particulars; 
Seld. pag. 29.  the other changing Di●● suis into uni tantùm Herculi, as if tithes were paid by the Romans to Hercules only: but by what authority or sound ground I know not: for mine own part, I see no reason why Paulus Diaconus should not be as worthy of credit as either, yea as both of them; sure I am the world, and the learned of those times wherein he lived, accounted him a man of as great knowledge and judgement, and as worthy of credit, as either is Divine Scaliger, or Antique Mr. Selden. Besides, say the Romans had given tithes to Hercules only; yet Festus speaks not of the custom of the Romans only, but of other Nations likewise: and howsoever by his silence he seems to consent with Scaliger in the correction of Paulus Diaconus for uni tantùm Herculi, yet himself confesseth, that neither the Romans, nor their next 
Pag. 27.  neighbours did tithe only to Hercules; but these their arbitrary vows and thanksgivings (I speak in the Historians language) were sometimes also paid to other Deities, whereof he names divers particulars. Next to the authority of Festus, he brings in the practice of the Grecians, for general consent. Thus Harpocration, who saith that the Grecians used to tithe the spoils of war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Pag. 32.  to the Gods. And another, It was a Greek custom to consecrate the tithes of their abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to the Gods in general, without exception, or limitation either 
●●●▪ de a●●. I●r. Civ. Rom. ●●m 〈◊〉 〈…〉  of things or persons, by whom or to whom, as general every whit as Festus. And the same Deities (as Catolus Sigorius hath well observed) being worshipped amongst the Romans, which were amongst the Grecians and the Romans no whit inferior in superstitious piety to the Grecians; it is not likely, but as they devoted themselves to their Gods, so they worshipped them with the self same worship, and paid them tithe as fully as the Grecians. Many other particulars might be alleged out of heathen stories to enforce this point, as how those who gave not of their increase were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, irreligious people, not serving God, without piety, who never escaped punishment for their Atheism: yea we shall read of many fearful judgements that fell upon such persons who were negligent in the performance of this duty to the Gods. But I refer the Reader to Mr. Montague, and Mr. Seldens' own history, where you shall find sufficient in this kind. And the reason of these strange punishments inflicted upon those that rob the heathen Gods is well given by Lactantius; God (saith he) punished this 
Instit. 2. c. 4.  sin of sacrilege among the heathens, because though he cared not for an injury done to an Idol, yet he would make men afraid of withdrawing any thing from him, whom they in their blind judgement took for the true God. But to pass from these instances, and come to the answering of such objections as are brought against the necessity of performing of what jacob here vows, The first objection is made against the necessity of the place of God's worship the second against the payment of tithes. The first is this; God is present in all places, and hath not Christ taught us, that God dwells not in temples made with hands, but wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his name, there will he be in the midst of them? To what end and purpose then need we build Churches and Chapels, for God's worship to be performed in? First we confess that of the School to be most infallibly true, that enter, praesenter Deu● hic & ubique potenter, all things are commanded by God's power, all things are open to his sight, all things are filled with his presence, he is present in heaven by his glorious Majesty cheering and blessing his glorious Saints and Angels; he is present in hell by his power and justice, punishing the wicked sinners and devils; he is present in all the world, feeding & ordering all both good and bad by his providence: yet suscepimus Deus miserecordiam 
Psal. 4. 9  tuam in medio templitus, his Church, his Sanctuary, that is his Curia Gratiae his gracious court of mercy; therein after a more divers way, and therein after a more special manner is he present to and with his Saints upon earth, then in all other places whatsoever. Again true it is, that Deus non habitat templis manufactis, God is not circumscribed within Temples made with hands, but ubicunque wheresover men are met together in his name, he will hear and answer them: yet at jerusalem is his Sanctuary, 
Psal. 7●.  at Salem is his Tabernacle; that is the place which he hath chosen for himself, wherein to put his name; that is the place whereunto the people shall resort to worship him; not only to oster their sacrifices and prayers to obtain his blessings, but to praise him for his benefits received from him. Neither let any man object and say non nunc ut olim, this was true of the material Temple and Tabernacle before Christ his coming, but not so now: for God hath not left his Church, he hath not forsaken his Sanctuary; but as Christ himself on earth, honoured the Temple and the Synagogues with his presence and preaching, and as the Saints of God since (and that no doubt by the direction of God's Spirit) have erected and dedicated places to and for his special worship; so is God in a special manner present in them more than in others: nay, as we have a common saying of the win●e, that if there be any stirring it is most evident about the Church; so if there be any slatus spiritús, If God be any where present (as he is every where) he is specially present to and with his Saints, at such time as they are assembled together in his Church and Temple, to hear his holy word, to receive his blessed Sacraments, by prayers and praises to worship him for his blessings: Thus howsoever the erecting of Churches etc. are not necessary necessitate absoluta, because in time of persecution omnis locus est Deo sacer, all places are his, be it in house or fiel●▪ where his Saints are assembled: yet are they necessary necessitate conditionata; when we may enjoy them, we must provide them, and being provided, honour and reverence them, even as the house of God, his holy Sanctuary.  
The second objection is made against the Minister's maintenance, and that not in general; for there is none so impiously sacrilegious, that will deny (at least in words) the necessity thereof; but the question is about the rule of proportion and law, whereby they are due to God, and from him to his Ministers; whether by the Divine Moral law of God, or by virtue of humane laws and Ecclesiastical constitutions; whether secundum totam, a proportion answerable to the levitical Priesthood, or whether secundum quotam, in the same full due & kind as they were paid to the levitical Priesthood. The adversary's of God and his tithes, hold and maintain the law for tithes abrogate, as judicial, and Ceremonial; and so the payment in that quota to be void, and the law for payment only Civil and humane.  
For answer hereof we confess, that if they speak of the maintenance of the levitical Priesthood in general, we deny not but there were some things in their quota partly Ceremonial, partly judicial, and so to us are now abrogate; such were their primitiae taken in the strict sense, their part● of sacrifices, their special & particular Cities, their ha●ing their tithes gathered and brought home at the costs and charges of the owners▪ their parts and portions in the second annual tithe, and in the tithe of every third year; but for the first tithe, which is the tithe called the ti●he of inheritance, that is, the tithe of all increase (nine parts deely and truly deducted) which was given by God to th● Priests and Levites; to say this is abrogate, as being a Ceremonial or judicial law, tying men to the payment thereof during only the time of the levitical Priesthood, and continuance of the jewish Polity, is most false and erroneous. And that I speak no more than I shall be able to prove, I will lay down three Conclusions;  
First, that the law for payment of the tithe was not simply Ceremonial or judicial, binding the payment only to the jewish Priesthood.  
Secondly, that the tenth is that proportion which is simply due unto God's worship and service.  
Thirdly, that the payment of tithes for the qu●ta is a Divine Moral law, yet standing in force to bind all Christians to pay them unto the Evangelicall Priesthood.  
That the law for payment of tithes was never simply Ceremonial etc. is thus proved;  
If the law binding to pay the tenth for the quota, were barely Ceremonial or judicial, then were tithes only due to the levitical Priesthood: but the tenth was not only due to the levitical Priesthood: ergò, etc. The consequent of the ma●or is undeniable, the minor is thus proved; That which of due was paid to another Priesthood, and that by the levitical Priesthood, was not only proper and due unto them: but tithes were paid by the levitical Priesthood of due to another, even to him that was the type of the Evangelicall Priesthood: therefore not due only to the Levites. The minor is thus proved; That which was paid by Abraham to Melchisedeck, was paid by the Levites to another Priesthood: but tithes were paid by Abraham to Melchisedeck: ergò, etc.  
This argument Paul urgeth, Hebr. 7. where comparing the Priesthood of Christ with Aaron's, he makes this one argument to prove Christ his Priesthood the greater, in that Levi in Abraham paid tithes unto M●lchisedeck, who was th● Typical Priest of the New Testament. Whereas the Historian objects that Abr●ham paid tithes only of the spoils of war, not of all his substance, the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying only the tithe of such spoils;  
First, I answer that both the text of Genesis, Chap. 14. 20. and HEBR. 7. 2. speak in general terms, that Abraham gave tithes of all; and as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to signify only the spoils of war, the Tithes-Histo●ian is not a● a●y agreement with himself (neither indeed can he be; the word bearing a larger signification); and therefore I will not stand to a●●wer it. But say we should grant that at this time when Abraham met M●l●hise deck, he gave the tithe only of the spoil of war; yet that infringeth not, but at other times he paid tithes of all. And that may appear first by the emphasis of the Apostle, Hebr. 7. 4. where he speaks of the payment of these tithes of the spoils, as of a greater and more eminent action than the paying of ordinary tithes of his ground, saying, Now consider how great this man was, unto whom the Patriarch gave the tenth, not only of his ordinary substance, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even the tenth of the spoils. Neither will that allegation suffice that is made by M●. Cartwright in his Annotations upon the Rheims Testament, that the payment of tithes was a ceremonial thing, whereby was signified that we in a tenth offered to Christ do declare that all we have is his.  
For first, if he mean particularly of Abraham's action, than Abraham di● it either with warranty or without, if with warranty, than was there some law commanding tithes before Mos●s▪ if without warranty, than no● lawful, and so not commendable, and so consequently not a fit type to signific the duty of the faithful to Christ.  
S●cond●y the Apostle in that place brings not in Abraham paying tithes in the person of all the faithful, but in the person of Levi; though true it be that all paid in Abraham.  
Thirdly, if it was (as we deny not) a ceremonial rite signifying and declaring the duty of all the faithful to Christ, than it should appear to be the first quota, and proportion whereby to testify and declare our subjection, thankfulness and obedience: And then I ask what wrong hath Christ d●ne us under the Gospel▪ that we should not still testify our obedience and thankfulness, in and by paying at least the same proportion; seeing we are not only the faithful children of Abraham, and have no law for bidding, but all enforcing the same duty. And here by the way observe with me two other passages in those Annotations upon the aforenamed place;  
The first is a relation of Possidoni●s in the life of Saint 
Aug in Ser. de temp. 2●9 In Dom. 12▪ post Trinit. Hom. 4●. inter 50 Ser. in Psal. 146.  Augustine; wherein h●● would make Saint Augustine an enemy to the custo●e of paying tithes in the quota, directly against his own peremptory assertion in all his Tracta●●s.  
The second is a misconstruing of Saint Jerome, no● only against his general text, but the sense & r●les of Grammar: for whereas ●. Jerome inveighing against the covetousness and licentiousness of the Clergy in those times, thus concludes, Si quasi Levita & sacerdos vivo de decimi●, & al●ari 
Ad Nepot. de vit. ●ler.  〈◊〉 iens altaris oblatione sus●●●tor, habens victum & vestitum his c●n●en●us ero▪ which in r●ght English is, that so long as I live as a Levite and Priest, upon tithes, or other offerings due to choose that serve at the altar, I will rest myself contented, though it only suffice for food and raiment: intimating, that as long as he lived upon Go●s allowance, it should suffice, were it never so small; assuring himself o● Go●s ●l●s●ing in and upon his own ordinance. There the construction of Saint Ieromes mind is this;  
That if less than a tenth will find him things necessary for his honest maintenance, Jerome will not stand upon a title of tithes.  
2. The tr●th of this may appear in the practice of jacob in this vow: for jacob vows not this of paying tithes de novo, as a work not formerly done, no more than he doth the other, that the Lord shall be his God; but he vows that which according to the ancient law of God, and practise of his fathers, he was to perform, when God should bestow these blessings upon him; only by this vow he binds himself to a more strict & careful performance of what he ought; it being lawful to make vows, not only in things indifferent, but in things necessary and commanded.  
The second thing which I propounded to prove was, that the tenth, even for the quota, is the certain rule of proportion due unto the Ministers of God which serve at the altar, and which without sacrilege cannot be detained from them: the which I thus prove;  
That for which we have the precept of God by authority of his word in time commanding, the practice of all people in all places, and that in all ages, and that of duty 
Vox populi, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e●● vox 〈…〉; Cic. 〈◊〉 1.  readily performing for the maintenance of God's worship; that must necessarily be the rule for the practice of all men, nor may it be altered till we have precept to the contrary: but of this nature hath been the practice for the payment of tithes: therefore etc.  
By all ages I understand, 1. Before the laws, as in the example of Abraham and jacob. 2. Under the law, where we have both precept and practice. 3. In time of the Gospel, when and where the Gospel hath been known, and embraced.  
By all persons I understand both faithful and insidels; testimonies whereof you have heard already.  
By all places I understand, 1. the several and particular Kingdoms of Christendom; not some one or few, but all 2. not some heathen, as the Romans alone, or Grecian only, but both, nay all whosoever are recorded to acknowledge a Deity or at least we read of none that did not with out punishment; Quis enim aesos impune putarit esse Deos?  
But against this argument there are brought divers instances: first, against the practice of the heathen; secondly, against the practice of the Church of God.  
For the heathen, these objections are made. 1. They had no compulsary law to compel them. 2. They paid not necessarily, 
Seld. pag. 28  but arbitrarily. 3. They paid not annually, nor of all things, not to all Deities, nor by all men. For answer of all which, in a word; first, what needed they any law to compel them, when as they were a law to themselves, drawn thereunto either by the law of nature, more forceable than any humane law; or else by traditional custom from the practice of their forefathers, which to us is above all, and to them was always in the nature and force of a law, they not having always their laws written (as we now) further than in the customary practice of the country? Secondly, for the making of laws for the payment of tithes, they well could not, in that they paid tithes to several Deities; so that to have made a law for one, had been to draw the envy of another Deity upon them. As for the second, that they paid them not upon necessity, but voluntarily, we shall find the contrary confessed by the Tithes-Historian, pag. 31. where recording the vow of Cypselus of Corinth, he saith that Cypselus had special regard to the tenth part of the goods of the Citizens, as competent to a Deity; and in the same page (relateing out of Herodotus the practice of Cyrus) tells us that Cyrus being admonished of Croesus, would not have the goods of the Lydians ransact by the soldiers, because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were necessarily to be tithed to jupiter; and that not only as a vow, but as a custom: otherwise (as Mr. Montague observeth) it would have been a poor argument to have made the soldiers desist from their right in the spoil.  
And as for annual payment he confesseth, pag. 30. that it was a custom to bring unto Apollo yearly first fruits in tenths; and a little before, speaking of the Syphnians, he saith that they gave yearly the tithes of their mines which they found in the Isle. And Mr. Montague further 
Pag. 493.  addeth, that when covetousness made them leave paying that tribute of tithes, the sea broke in among them and swallowed up those mines; a just vengeance of God upon detainers of divine right, by dishonouring God to lose all. And in the last place where he averreth all paid not, nor of all things, nor to all Deities, let him or any show as much in the negative, as we have showed in the affirmative, and we will yield the bucklers: and yet I see no reason why the proof of a negative after the affirmative proved, should stand good against God's right, that will not stand good against an earthly Kings, no not against the right of a private person.  
But grant that all this were true that is alleged, that they paid not yearly, nor of all things etc. Were they not heathen, in whom the light of nature being darkened, might fail in the perfect performance of such things as nature required. Certainly if we fail, having a greater light, in the performance not only of this duty, but of things of greatest moment, especially when gain and profit come in our way, let us not expect perfection from them, though in natural things; howsoever, what they did proves the truth of my former conclusion, in that they paid neither an eighth, ninth, eleventh, or twelfth, but always a strict tenth, or at lest nomine decima; demonstrating thereby the tenth to be due de jure, howsoever they failed the fallo to pay it in the full proportion or quota.  
The reasons brought to infringe the practice of tithes under the Gospel, are two; both taken from matter of fact. The first is the practice of the primitive Church in the days of the Apostles, who neither received tithes, nor challenged them; together with the settling of the payment of tithes in all particular countries where the Gospel hath been received; which payments have been settled according to the particular laws & customs of particular countries.  
First for answer, we say that a facto ad jus non valet consequentia, it was not done thus and thus, and therefore it ought not to have been otherwise, is no good consequence either in Logic or Law, much less in Divinity.  
Secondly, the Church in those times of the Apostles, and many years after, was not settled, but was in great persecution, and so not a fit time for Ministers to be forward in urgeing that question, lest, as Saint Paul spoke of himself, they should have seemed to have sought theirs more than them. And to reason thus, we may as well say that the Israelites paid no tithes in the wilderness, nor in their captivities; therefore they were not due at any time.  
Thirdly, those that were not converted paid according to their ancient customs unto their Idoll-Gods; those that were, willingly brought all and laid them at the Apostles feet: but the Church was no sooner settled, but tithes were demanded, and readily by way of thankfulness to God paid when and where the Gospel was from time to time received and embraced, as the particular grants specified by Mr. Selden himself will sufficiently witness.  
The second reason opposing the practice for the times of the Gospel, is grounded upon the doctrine of the Schoolmen, and practise of the Church; first set abroach by Alexander 
Seld. p. 158.  Hales. Their doctrine was, that tithes for the quota are not due now in the time of the Gospel; either by the Moral law, or the law of Nature; but only jure Ecclesiastico, by the judicial laws and constitutions of the Church, being grounded upon the equity of a mutual distribution betwixt the Ministers and the people; that as the one gives spiritual things, so the other should afford unto them of their temporal things. The practice of the Church was in suffering the conveyances of Parochial rites in tithes to be diverted unto the maintenance of Monks and Friars in their cloisters, which (saith the Tithes-Historian) the Church would never have suffered, 
Pag. 159.  had they formerly held tithes due to be paid by divine right, either lege scriptâ, or natâ.  
But these reasons to them that will understand reason, are easily answered; for first, the Schoolmen and Friars are contrary to themselves and one to another, for which I refer the Reader to Gregory de Valentia in his Title of tithes.  
Secondly, what is the judgement of a few Monks and Friars, who by their niceties and subtleties have obscured the truth, rather than explained it, being compared with all the ancient Fathers of God's Church in all ages, which have sealed to the truth of their doctrine by shedding of their bloods?  
Thirdly, let all honest Christians consider the end that these Schoolmen aimed at, with the miserable event that followed their doctrine and practice. For their ends, they were two;  
The first was to increase the maintenance of the Ministry, 
Thom. 2. 2. qu. ●7. art. 1  & to draw it to a greater proportion, by how much the Priesthood of the Gospel was more excellent than that of the Law: for less than a tenth they never yielded unto.  
The second was, by maintaining them due only by positive law, and not divine, they laboured to draw them from their Parochial Ministers unto the maintenance of them & their Cloisters: which they effected even to the impoverishing of the Ministers serving at the altar, allowing unto them only a small competency of personal tithes.  
Lastly, for the event of this doctrine, it was most fatal; giving not only occasion to Wicklife and others to broach that heresy of maintaining tithes to be mere alms; but gave occasion also to the civil power, to take from the Church not only the jurisdiction of tithes, but to alienate them in the end from the Church and Churchmen to a me●re civil use; as your Prohibitions, Inhibitions, Impropriations at this day witness at large, not only here but in all places.  
And as for the practice of the Church suffering the alienation of them; First, it was not by general consent of all: for the Canonists of those times were against it. Secondly, suppose the whole Church had erred in this particular at this time, yet doth it not infringe the right of them by general consent before nor since, in that the whole Church hath erred in matters of greater weight and moment than the point of tithes, as in the heresy of Arrianus, when totus mundus factus erat Arrianu●, the whole world were become Arrians, some sew particular persons only excepted. And in the times of Popetie before the days of Martin Luther, when there was no poi●t of divinity free from either addition or subtraction in any one Church of Christendom. And for the allegation of particular prescriptions and customs, let them first prove tithes due by humane constitution only, and that God hath relinquished his right, otherwise it is not only idle, but wicked, to plead custom, or prescribe against God.  
The last thing to be proved for the payment of tithes is, that the law of tithing was and is a divine law, standing still in force, which may not be abrogate without special law to the contrary: which will appear by these reasons following;  
1. To whom the self same power and duty of blessing belongs, as did to Melchisedeck, to them from the blessed aught the same duty to be performed, which Abr●ham performed to Melchisedeck; that is, the tithes of all: benedicere & decimas accipere & dare being set down by 
Hebr. 7. 1. 2  the Apostle as relatives, quorum uno posito, ponitur & alterum, & ● contrà: otherwise the Apostles argument is of no force; but the Ministers of the Gospel have the same power and right of blessing the people, as had Melchisedeck: ergò, etc. If any shall object that parents do and may bless their children, and children their parents, 
Gen. 24. 60. Iosh●a 22. ●. Psal. 129. 8 Ruth 2. ●.  and Kings their subjects, yea all Christians ought to bless one another; and yet cannot challenge a propriety in tithes: I answer, that there was and is a great difference betwixt their blessing and the blessing of the Priest and Minister.  
For first, the Priests had a special commission and 
Deutr. 10. 8  command, as being set apart by God for that purpose.  
Secondly, to them was given a prescript and certain form of blessing, which was not to others: The Lord bless 
Numb. 6. 24. 25. 26.  thee and keep thee, the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace.  
Thirdly, there was a promise of a special blessing annexed unto the Priest's blessing, which was not made to 
Numb. 6. 26  any other; others only praying for a blessing, but they pronouncing it also.  
Lastly, God hath annexed the blessing of the Priests and the payment of tithes by the people, as necessary dependants. D●VT. 10. 8. 9 At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to minister unto him, to bless in his name unto this day: wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according a● the Lord thy God promised: and what this promise was, we read, NUMB. 18. 21. And be●old I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel.  
If it be objected that this was a ceremonial action belonging only to the levitical Priesthood, the answer is negative, that it was not a Ceremonial, but a Moral duty. 1. Because it was in practice before the law of ceremonies or levitical Priesthood, as in the example of Melchisedeck, G●N. 14. 19 20. He blessed Abraham, and received tithes of all. 2. Christ himself practised it, MAR. 10. 16. LUK. 24. 50. 3. Christ commanded his disciples to do the like, LUK. 10. 5. promising to second it upon such who should readily receive them, and kindly entertain them. 4. The Apostles practised it after Christ's ascension and their receiving the holy Ghost, blessing the people with that Evangelicall form of blessing mentioned 2. COR. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all; Amen. According to which form, the Ministers of God in all ages since have continued to bless the people: the which form, though it differ in words from that used under the Law, yet is it the self same for sense and substance: and that both more sweet, by how much the sweet name of JESUS is therein mentioned; as also more plain, in that the three persons of the blessed Trinity are therein distinctly expressed, which in the other are only closely implied under the triple iteration of the name and title of LORD.  
The truth and confirmation of this whole argument is apparently proved, HEBR. 7. 12. where Paul thus reasons; 
Arg. 1.  If the Priesthood be changed, then must there be a change of the Law, and so ● contrà, where the Priesthood is the same, the Law must be the same: but our Priesthood is the same for blessing with Melchisedecks', yea with Aaron's: and therefore the Law of our Priesthood for receiving tithes must be the same.  
That law, the abrogating whereof dishonours God, 
Arg. ●.  and makes the Ministers of the Gospel inferior to the Ministers of the Law, cannot be temporary, but of divine constitution, which cannot be abrogated: but to maintain the law for the right of the tithe in kind to be abrogate and not in force, tends to the dishonour of God, and making the Ministers of the Gospel inferior to them under the Law: ●rgò, etc. The ma●or is thus proved; That law, the abrogating whereof leaves the Ministers of God under the Gospel without a certain rule for maintenance, dishonours God in making him more regardless of his Ministers under the Gospel, then under the Law, and makes them inferior to the levitical Priesthood: but to maintain the Law commanding tithes for the quota to be abrogate, is to leave the Ministers of the Gospel without a certain rule for maintenance: ergò etc. The major is evident by two reasons; 1. Because maintenance is one of those four necessary duties required of all men towards their Ministers now in the time of the Gospel; the other three being love, countenance, obedience. 2. In regard of those manifold mischieses and inconveniences which must necessarily follow, in leaving them to a voluntary stipend or contribution of man, without a certain rule given by God himself: as,  
1. Flattery, or suspicion of flattery, in being thought to have some persons in admiration, because of advantages which cannot be in tithes.  
2. Dissimulation and deceit, in making as though they received little when as they have much; which cannot be in tithes.  
3. By this means the poorer sort are either much disgraced in regard of that little they have, or else are forced to strain themselves above their ability to their utter ruin, as woeful experience makes too evident in such places where Ministers live on contribution; whereas in the payment of tithes every man rests content with God's blessing.  
4. Ostentation in some, in giving much, and disdaining those that give less; which cannot be in tithes.  
If it be objected, that all this may be amended by a set stipend arising from goods proper to the Church; I ask what they understand by Church goods: If they mean tithes which are the proper goods of the Church; how can any man proportion a stipend better than God himself hath done, to give every Minister the tithes of those people committed to his charge? If by goods proper to the Church, they understand such voluntary offerings as shall be brought in by the faithful into the common treasury of the Church, or otherwise shall be rated by authority upon every particular person; then I demand what contribution can be so sure, what stipend established by man so certain, but that either by the wickedness of the Magistrates who have power to establish, or inconstancy of those by whom it is be paid, or covetousness of those by whom it is to be collected and gathered, is subject either to change, or else to enforce God's Ministers to the former evils: as is evident in all places, where Ministers live either upon such voluntary contributions or set stipends. But more of this hereaster.  
The minor is thus proved; If there be a law or rule, it is for more, or less, or the same certain due; if it be for more, why do they withhold it? if for less, then are we in worse case than the Levites: but whether it be for more or less, let them show us the rule, and we shall willingly consent; if they cannot then it remains necessarily, that the same rule & law must stand in force for us now under the Gospel, which was in force for the Priesthood under the Law.  
If they say that Paul sets down a rule and law. 1. COR. 9 GAL. 6. 6. I say then, it is a divine law, not humane; for more honourable maintenance, not for less: as all the reasons plainly ●n●orce; and so whosoever withholds the tenth is sacrilegious, unless they will maintain Code and Statute above Scripture, and the laws and constitutions of men, above the laws and commandments of God. But the truth is, that neither of those texts are rules or laws simply, but only comments upon the first law, first imprinted in man's heart, and afterwards given by God himself unto Moses, and alleged by Paul for backing the same; as not only the reasons there alleged necessarily imply & enforce, being grounded upon the law of Nature, and the law Moral; but verse the 14 he concludes it to be the same law, saying, ●ic enim constan●t etc. Even so ●ath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gasped, should live of the Gospel's. Let men then either show some other statute law given by God, or else they must necessarily grant, that Paul ●n●orc●●h no other but the first law.  
●. But because such is the corruption of man's nature, that they are more drawn to the practice of holy duties by the fear of punishment, then alured by the force of precept and hope of reward; take in the last place a reason enforcing this duty, drawn from the manifold judgements denounced and threatened by God, and no less inflicted upon such who have any ways been detainers of his tithes in all ages, or any thing else truly dedicated to ●oly use for the better maintenance of his worship and service; where we shall find that such things have been fearfully fatal to all the actors and abettors and their posterity after them: And here not to speak of that great punishment of the jews mentioned MAL. 3. nor yet of those notorious Sacrilegists of ancient times and in other countries; but to keep ourselves at home, and to speak only of such particulars as are fresh in our memory, of that great sacrilege begun and seconded in the days of King Henry the eighth, with the success of it in all the actors and abettors of the same.  
And first to begin with Cardinal Wolsey the precedent for future sacrilege, in demolishing certain petty Monasteries and religious houses, though to a good intended use, for the building of two Colleges, the one in Oxford, the other in Ipswitch: both which, as they stand to this day unfinished as a witness against him of his sin; so not long after suddenly and unexpectedly followed his ruin and overthrow. From him come to the Lord Cromwell the instigator of the King to the dissolution of the rest re●a●ning, though to an happy end, even the rooting of Pope●y, Superstition, and Idolatry out of this kingdom (which could never have been so easily effected if those places had been left in their being and glory); yet for neglecting to be as careful to tender unto God his due by restoring unto him and his Church his tithes and other due rites, as be was to root out superstition and take away such places and particulars as were dedicated and given to such idolatrous uses, gathering into his own hands a great part of those possessions; they proved not only fatal to himself, as his fearful (though lamentable) ruin● shortly after made apparent; but those possessions have been no less fatal to his stock and posterity who by virtue of his right have still inherited them: Yea take a view of the whole Gentry of England into whose hands the revenues Church were then by w●y of exchange or otherwise divolved, and we shall find they have been like to Tholosse gold, or 
Aulus. Gell. lib. 3. 6. 9 Prov. 20. 25  those holy things spoken of by Solomon, which have not only ensnared the souls of their possessors, and perished themselves in their use; but with themselves have the voured other fair and ample possessions: So that either the face or the name of our Gent●y then in being is wholly changed, or else there is none remaining who are successively possessors of those tithes to a fourth generation; or, if there be any, either they want means of maintenance answerable to their births, or at least they want heirs of their loins to continue those inheritances in their names: either of which proves that general assertion both of religion and nature infallibly true, that the male quasitis non gandet ●●r●i●● heres, of goods ill gotten the third heir shall have small cause to rejoice. I might instance the like satal success of those revenues even in R●gia stirpe, in the succession of King Hemy the eighth. And the only happiness that our late gracious Sovereign JAMES of blessed memory, had in the remainder of those holy things, was this, that he was so happy as to rid the crown of them; and from my soul I wish that (as I have often heard it was his desire) so for God's glory, his own honour, the future happiness of his posterity, & of his kingdoms, he had been so further happy as to have restored God's part in his tenths unto the Church again. And howsoever those who now possess such tenths think they shall and may more safely and freely enjoy them, because they are persuaded they have paid more dear for them: yet caveat emptor, l●t such buyers beware least before another third generation come, they prove not as fatal to them and to their posterity, as they were to their predecessors; for if once sacrilege, ever; our God from whom we receive the whole, and to whom the tenth is ever due, being the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  
Thus to conclude this point, By all ●●●se reasons it is apparent, that howsoever the laws whereby men at this day pay their tithes unto their Ministers, be the laws positive, and customs of Churches and several Kingdoms wherein they live; yet the laws whereby they are primarily due, an● by which the true Church hath ever and doth yet challenge them, is the divine law of God.  
And for the laws Imperial, and Canons Synodall and Pontificial with the particular grants and laws of particular Kingdoms concerning tithes, they were made from time to time in favour of the Church, for the maintenance of divine right, and repressing the wickedness of such as would not have paid them, had not the fear of the law of man been more powerful with them then the law of God.  
The truth whereof will appear evident, if we take but a view of those Grants, Laws, and Chartelaries mentioned by Mr. Selden himself in his eighth Chapter, made & granted by the Kings of England, where we shall find them all grounded, and that only upon the divine right; as in the general Synod held in the year 706. under Offa 
pag. 199.  King of Merc●land, and Elfwolde King of Northumberland, with the full consent of all the Lords both spiritual and temporal, grounding that law of tithing upon that text of MALAC. 3. they thus conclude, Nemo justam el●●mosynam de his qu● p●ssidet, facere valet: nisipri●s separaverit Domino, quod à primordio ipse sibi reddere delegavit: ac per hoc plerunque contingit, ut qui decimam non tribuit, ad decimam revertitur: unde etiam cum obtestatione pracipimus, ut omnes studeant de omnibus qua possident decimas dare; quia speciale Domini Dei est; & de novem partibus sibi vivat, & ●l●●mosynas tribuat etc. No man may give alms out of any thing he doth possess, though upon never so just cause, before such time as he hath first set apart that to the Lord which he from the beginning reserved to be rendered to himself: for by this means it often comes to pass, that he which neglects to pay the tenth, is himself brought to a tenth: therefore we adjure all men that they studiously endeavour to pay the tenth of all that they have, because that is in a special manner the Lords: and to maintain themselves and give alines out of the other nine parts o●ely.  
The like grant he mentions of Ethelulph, anno 855. who gave with the consent of all the Lords both spiritual and temporal, the tithes of all his Kingdom to the Churches and Ministers of the same; free from all manner of Regal or secular service: in the conclusion of which grant is added, Qui autem augere volu●rit nostram donationem, 
pag. 209  a●geat omnipotens Deus dies ●●us prosperos: si quis verò minuer● v●l mutare pr●sumps●rit, noscat s●●●te Tribunal Christi r●dditurum ration●m, ●isi pri●s satisfactione emendaverit, If any shall augment this our donation, the Lord make his days many and prosperous: if any shall presume either to lessen or change the same, let him know that he shall give an account thereof before the Tribunal of Christ, unless before that time he make full satisfaction for the same.  
The like of the grant and general law made by King 
pag. 213.  Athelstan, grounded, as he confesses, upon the example of jacob, and text of ho●y Scripture. pag. 214.  
The like of King edmund, Decimam pra●ipimus omni Christiano super Christianitatem suam d●re. 215. we command all Christians to pay their tithes upon forfeiture of their Christendom.  
In the laws of King Knout. pag. 223. Reddantur Deo debita rectitudines annis singulis, Let God have his due right yearly provided him. And then follows the law of tithe in kind.  
In the laws made by King Edward the Confessor, h●ving set down the particulars what tithes ought to be paid, this is the ground, D●cima pars ●i reddenda ●st qui ●o ve● parts simul cum decima largitur, The tenth ought to be paid to him, who together with the tenth gives us freely the other nine parts. And so of the rest.  
In room whereof I will add the opinion of the Divines of the whole University of Oxford touching personal tithes, against the doctrine of one Friar Russell, who denied 
pag. 225.  tithes to be due jure divino▪ against which opinion they thus conclude, Quic●● que hanc sententiam tenuerit, & per ●inaciter def●nderis, apud reputationem ●ostram hareticus est censendus: & quia à sancta doctrina Ecclesia est divisus, a corpore ●jusdem Ecclesi● vel●t putrid●m membrum est prascind●ndus, Whosoever shall perversely hold and maintain this assertion, let him upon our credit's be held an heretic: and because he hath rend himself from the holy doctrine of the Church, let him be cut off from the Church as a rotten member of the same.  
I know M●. Selden goes about to weaken these authorities, 
pag. 201.  especially of the Synod held under Offa and Elfwold, by calling into question the faithfulness of the Centuriators, from whence he recites it; because the record of t●at Synod is no where ●lse to be found, as he saith. And for the censure of the University of Oxford, he affirms that they were too vehement and too confident in the 
pag. 174.  point. But I leave to the censure of his own Profession, with what indiscretion and more vehement confidence they would censure a poor Postillian Divine that should go about to call into question the faithfulness of Ployden, the Lord Dyer, Sir Edward Cook, Rastall, etc. because that all particular original records of judgements and statutes recorded by them in their Commentaries, Cases, Reports, Abridgements, are not come to his view, or it may be cannot be found, as being stolen by some siltching hand, or perished by antiquity of time, or the negligence of those that had them in custody: or, after that all the judges of the Land, together with all the Lawyers of all the Inns of Courts, after long and serious arguing, had determined a case in Law; some puny Barrister should censure them all to be too vehement and confident in their determination.  
And that all the world may see that the dull ignorance and ignorant confidence is not so proper to the poor Divines of these times, but Mr. Selden may shake hands even in these things wherein he would make the world believe he had no equal; take into your consideration his peremptory conclusion upon these two grants and records following, alleged by him to prove that decima and decimatio are not always taken for a tenth, but sometimes for a fare less portion: as also that the free disposing of the 
Cap. 10.  tenth, was in the power of the owner to give, what, to whom, and to what use he pleased, without the consent of Bishop or Incumbent.  
The first▪ though second in the history, is a grant of Robert de Hessel to the Monastery of Gisburne in Yorkshire whereby he gives, duas garbas de tota terra quam de novo colui in territorio de Hessell post quam illam tenui; aut quam ego de catero colam, vel haredes met; ita ut decimatio hac cedat in fabricationem Ecclesiae novae de Gisburne: here the gift of two sheaves only out of all his land (saith he) is called decimatio▪ the which if he would make good, I would willingly give him yearly the price of a Ployden's Commentaries, and yearly gain by the bargain. But the truth is, he is much mistaken; for by duas garbas, we may not understand two sheaves only of his whole land new tilled; but as Doctor Tilesley observes, duplam decimam: and yet not two sheaves of ten, but duas decimas garbas, or primam & secundam decimam, two tenth-sheafes, or two sheaves of tenth; the custom of tithing in that ground and territory being this, That the Collectors for that right of the Abbey of Gisburne, received, and do still, the tenth and twentieth sheaf, and the Minister or Incumbent the thirtieth sheaf, or third sheaf of tenth; so that garba there, is the same with decima. The like custom to this I remember to be in the Parish of Hurstper-poynt in Sussex, payable to the Abbey of Lewis: but whether it be of lands anciently belonging to that Monastery, or otherwise a donation, as this of Hessell, I cannot well remember.  
Further, it must be remembered concerning this custom, that the land newly to be tilled was a wood; some of it standing to this day: and all of it called the Wood-sield: and so was not liable formerly according to the custom of England to pay any tithe.  
Secondly, in lieu of this the Incumbent receives annually out of that portion of Gisburne, nine threaves of corn, to wit, sour of wheat, if there be so much growing upon the ground, and the rest of barley. The which threaves may amount sometimes near to the loss in the double tithe given from him, and then no doubt did, much of it being lately converted from wood to arable; by which it appears, that the alienation and grant was not without the consent of the Bishop and Incumbent, but with consent of all parties.  
The other is the customary payment of four threaves of corn of every ploughland in the Eastriding of Yorkshire, given, as he saith, by King Athelstan to the Church of Saint john of Beverley (which came not, as he affirmeth, near to the tenth) which threaves are styled decimae in a bull of one of the Pope Gregory's, as if decima in one notion had signified any kind of revenue devoutly offered to holy uses.  
For answer hereof, I must confess I cannot fully resolve myself of this custom by all the enquiry I have made; yet I shall be able I hope to inform my reader so much, as shall prove the Historian much mistaken in this allegation.  
First if they who have skill in the Saxon dialect may be believed, we may as well by [forne thrave] understand the fourth threave of every ploughland, as simply sour; and then here was a greater quantity than a tenth. But take it as it is alleged, yet it is not so base and contemptible a portion as he would make it seem to be; for every threave being sour and twenty sheaves, and an hide or 
If Caracu●a (as himself confesseth) signifieth an ●i●e or plough land.  ploughland being usually not above thirty six acres, and in many places less; and part of this being meadow, part pasture, and part yearly fallow; fourscore and sixteen sheaves, and that of the principal come, as wheat and barley, was not so contemptible a portion as the Tithes-Historian would seem to make it. But the truth is, I cannot learn or hear of any of the Laity that hold or enjoy any temporal land that pays, or ever paid any such portion to S. john of Beverley, either by the gift of Athelstan, or any other King; nor that ever King Athelstan had any such portion in the Eastriding, payable unto his Avenary by custom of the Country from the Laity. True it is that there is a custom in the Eastriding called the payment of threaves; but of another nature and foundation, and that begun in the days of Saint john of Beverley, under the reign, & by the permission and favour of King Athelstan. The story by tradition is this; The Eastriding, especially the parts about Beverley and Holdernes, in regard of the woods and waters, were much annoyed with the hurtful beasts called Beavers, Wolves, Otters etc. which destroyed daily their young cattles: the destruction whereof the Bishop having first endeavoured at his own cost and charges, and in the end finding the charge to be too great to be borne by himself, called to his aid & assistance all the Clergy of the Eastriding; who gave certain threaves of corn (every one according to the valuation of his living) some more, some less; the which was first paid in kind as it grew upon the ground, and brought home either to Beverley, or to places appointed, where men and dogs and horses were maintained for this purpose; in the end the evil of beasts being by this means remooved, and yet this evil custom for the Clergy remaining, it was changed first into the payment of certain quarters of corn, after into a pecuniary payment, which in valuation is a double tenth, twice so much as we pay annually to the King for tenths, and so may not unfitly be called decimae.  
Howsoever, grant it were more or less, yet being paid only by the Clergy, and that out of the tenths of the Church, Pope Gregory might call it fitly a tenth, and yet no whit diminish the propriety of decimation, but still under that term is intimated a tenth in some one quota or other.  
By which particulars it appears, that the Tithes-Historian hath not been so carefully industrious to inform himself of the truth of things, or not so faithful to relate them as he doth confidently confess and protest, but hath taken what may serve for his own turn and purpose, to frame an history according to his own intention, & not to the truth: the truth, or true history of tithes being no other than that which is contained in holy writ, and which is no whit subject to the Laws Imperial, or Canons either Synodall or Pontificial; but contains a law given by God, even like himself, which may not be changed, but must remain one and the same throughout all generations.  
The use of all which, as it serveth to enforce the truth of my general conclusion, so to manifest, and manifesting to reprehend the sacrilegious impiety of these times, wherein men are so fare from holding it a duty of religion, a point of devotion, an argument of thankfulness to God for his manifold blessings, to follow jacobs' example in building and repairing God's house, and truly paying the tenth of what God bestows upon them, that they think they can do God & their Country no better service then in pulling down his Churches and Chapels, to rob him of his tithes, and abuse & wrongfully disgrace his Ministers. We have a common Proverb, that PATER NOSTER built Churches, and OUR FATHER pulled them down: This I confess is contrary to our Profession; but if we will look to the practice of these times, we shall find it truly verified: for if we consider the practice of former ages, (I mean not those of the latter times of Popery, whose devotion was superstition) but those first times of the Church of Rome, and those times of other Churches; if, I say, we shall compare their devotion in erecting and building Churches and Chapels, their zeal in decking and adorning of them, their bounty and liberality for the maintaining of them for time to come, and compare it with our practice in these our days; we shall find that they were not so devout to build them, as we have been, and still are, to pull them down; they were not more zealous to adorn them, than we are to deface them; they were not so forward and liberal to maintain them, and the worship of God in them, as we are to pill and poll from them. For witness whereof, how many places of this Land may a man come to, where he shall find most goodly and glorious houses, wrought both within and without with most curious works of the most ingenious Artists, environed about with all the delights and pleasures of man; and in the same place or parish shall find God served in a thatched Church, or wooden Chapel? nay, with grief let it be spoken, how many such houses be there, that have been built with the stones and mortar of the ruins of God's house? how many Churches and Chapels may be found in this Land, which are turned into barns and stables, and to more base offices? how many are there again in this our Land, which are hardly content with the most curious needle-workes, the purest linen, and the massiest gold and silver for their own tables, whiles in the mean time, God's table must be content with some piece of linsey▪ woolsey for a carpet, course linen for a table cloth, & if they will be at cost for a silver chalice, for other vessels God must rest content with brass and pewter, & in many places hardly that. It is recorded of the jews in the third of Ezra, that at the building of the second Temple, they amongst them that had seen the first Temple, and compared the glory of it with that they were now to build, burst forth into mourning and lamentation: so if we should pass through the parts of this our Country, and compare the Churches that are now built, with those that were built in former ages, or those that were built formerly, with that we may read or see them to have been; it would make the stoniest heart to grieve, and the driest eye to shed some tears, to behold so great a desolation in God's Sanctuary.  
And as such and so great is the evil will that men have to God's Zion, in respect of the place of his worship; so no less, nay more in the matter of maintenance and respect to his Ministers, which are special means to encourage and to enable them for the performance of the parts of his public worship in those places.  
Not to speak of any simoniacal contracts, impropriations, appropriations, customs, compositions, prescriptions, prohibitions, inhibitions, as things that never trouble men's consciences, and by which they have, and do daily rob God and his Church of the best part of his spiritual inheritance: but to speak only of that small portion of maintenance which the iniquity of times hath left yet remaining to the Church; and it is strange but to imagine, what thifts, tricks, and devises men have, and all to cousin God of his right; what shifting, what chopping and changing from field to field, Parish to Parish, kind to kind; thinking every little too much that the Minister enjoys, and all well gotten that they can deceitfully get from him: or if their envying that little we have, or the private cozening of us of what is our due were all, yea if we might have but fair proceeding at the Law for what is violently detained from us, we could hold ourselves well contented; but to have it violently wrested out of our hands (or rather Gods) by perjury, cruelty, and oppression, is an height of impiety more than heathenish.  
For witness of the truth hereof, how often falls it out that a Parishioner discontented with his Minister, it may be because he cannot have his tithe at his own rate and pleasure, or it may be for just reprehension of him for withholding Naboths' Vineyard, or keeping his brother Phillip's wife, or some other such like crying sin; this discontented person by way of revenge instantly detains some part or the whole of his tithe, puts the poor Minister to a long & tedious suit, forcing him thereby to come to a composition for his own, & so as to stand to his worship's courtesy; but if it fall out that he cannot get his desire, he calls in his Tenants, friends, and neighbours, pleading a prescription and customary payment of some kind of tithe, and that not for himself, but the whole Parish, adviseing them to join and hold with him; who, either out of fear of his person, or hate to their Minister, or rather covetous desire of what they ought not to have, cry, ●aciamus impietatis pari●tem unum, habeamus etiam omnes unum marsupium: and having thus impiously smitten hands to hold together, lest the Minister should get the day (which of all other is held the greatest disgrace, be his cause never so good); their next care is to suborn witnesses, which usually go accompanied with these two good properties, old men, who have forgotten to speak truth, or else think they may speak what they list, because they think none can control them: swearing oftentimes for many years before they were borne: or secondly, poor and needy persons, such as are ready to ●ell themselves for a morsel of bread; so that if they should be proved perjured, the poor Minister should have no redress against them, but to get an obdurate ear and a perjured tongue, unsavoury and unprofitable morsels for distressed souls, and a poor recompense for so great a loss. From these honest witnesses it goes to a jury of laymen, and those usually picked out of purpose, men of more law than conscience; who, knowing that the judge must of necessity give sentence according to their verdict, instead of examining the cause, cry, ●am nostra res agitur, it is this man's cause to day, it may be ours tomorrow; let us take heed how these blackcoats get the day of us; and so never making more enquiry either into the nature of the evidence given by the judges, or the quality of the witnesses brought in to prove their evidence, cry with one consent, Billa vera, all is true that is alleged against the Minister; and, which is not the least of evils, when he is thus doubly forsworn out of his right, yet he must undergo the censure of a troublesome factious fellow, which would not rest contented with what his predecessors enjoyed before him.  
Never any age wherein men were more forward to call upon their Ministers for the performance of their duties, never any wherein they were more subject to censure them upon the least omission, never less regard had either of their places or persons, men never envying the happiness & prosperity of any other profession, so they can keep the Ministers of God poor enough. For evident proof whereof, take into your considerations another particular.  
A Minister holding two benefices (carefully providing to have them both served, & paying for these ordinarily or extraordinarily toward the necessary affairs of the King and Kingdom, and giving more to the releese of the poor than it may be his whole Parish, or the best justice in the Country about him) this is held a great impiety, a roaring sin of these days: and yet in the mean time, for a layman to hold four, five, six, or eight spiritual live, the least of them (it may be) worth both the others; and out of all these hardly allowing so much as would sufficiently 〈◊〉 an able Minister, nor yet paying any thing toward the necessary affairs of the King or Kingdom, is by no man maligned or envied.  
True it is, that to cloak all this impiety it is pretended that conditionally every Minister would be content with one living, and every Church and Chapel might be provided of an able preaching Minister, they could wish that there might be a competency allotted out of all live, impropriations, and other, for the better and sufficient maintenance of Ministers therein. A fair cloak I must confess, if the cloth were answerable to the colour; but quadam videntur & non sunt, all is not gold that glistereth. Give you me leave therefore a little to examine this competency, and to ask the question;  
1. Of what nature it should be: whether they will provide for all Ministers portions alike, equal or unequal. If to all equal, then would they do wrong to God and his Ministers, who, as he bestows upon some greater gifts, will have them served and rewarded with a double 
1. Tim. 5. 17.  portion; according to that of the Apostle, He that ruleth well is worthy of double honour etc. if they say their portion shall be unequal and answerable to men's deserts, then in the second place give me leave to ask, By whom shall these portions be proportioned? by whom shall men's gifts be judged? by whom shall these portions be conferred and bestowed? do we not think that a Brother, a Son, a Kinsman, a Friend, a velvet Gown, a Coach and all other necessary furniture, nay three or four hundred pieces will be are as great a stroke, and work as feelingly in the bestowing a pension of an hundred pounds per annum certain without further charge, as now in bestowing a living of that value & rate uncertain. If Christ had foretold, that in the latter days chari●ie should abound, and iniquity grow cold, there might have been some hope that with the change of the form the evil might have been avoided▪ but Christ having told the contrary, it is against hope to expect it.  
But to go on a little further; why should any man go about to prescribe God his allowance, when God himself hath allotted and proportioned it ' Is not this for men to make themselves wiser than God? Or is it likely that they who now make no conscience of breaking God's law in taking from him and his what he hath allotted and given, will make any conscience to change their own laws to lessen, or wholly take from God and his Church what they themselves shall allow?  
God hath given and allotted us the tenth: the tenth we challenge as Gods and our own proper due, which no man can detain without sacrilege: let them give us that, as God hath given it, and I dare say the Church will not only carefully provide for every Parish an able and sufficient preaching Minister, but we shall all rest ourselves satisfied with one cure of souls: yea let us have our tenths duly and truly paid as God commanded, and as we have proved due; so fare shall they find us from covetousness, that we shall be willing to resign up all our temporalties (the royalties and dignities of the Church only excepted:) and yet we dare maintain that the Church hath as good right unto them, as any temporal Lord hath to his temporal possessions, though he can claim them from the donation of Brutus (if any such were) first King of great Britain.  
But for men to talk of a competency to have every Parish provided of a sufficient preaching Minister, and every Minister content with one cure of souls, and yet they to keep any part or portion of the tenth in their own use and possession, is an evident sign that how soever this plea of competency bear the show of religion (and I am persuaded many wish and desire it out of a good heart) yet it is a plain sleight of the Devil for the utter overthrow of all piety and religion by bringing into the Church an equality, by equality to bring in poverty; from whence as follows necessarily a contempt of the persons and calling of God's Ministers, so no less a contempt of their doctrine, according to that of Saint Bernard, Cujus persona despicitur, ejus doctrina contemnitur.  
And that I may speak no more than the truth, I desire men to consider of the present respect given, and uncivil dealing by men of all sorts to and with the Clergy of England; as their supercilious looks, their scornful and opprobrious terms and titles, their pilling and polling, their posting of us from wall to kennill, from the hall to the parlour, from session to assize, with twenty other such disgraceful abuses; the base estimation of our callings and labours, thinking no men so easily come to their learning & living as the Minister, no m●ns pains less than the Ministers; equalling, nay preferring oftentimes their Clerk, Horsekeeper, or Huntsman before their Chaplain & Pastor; thinking twenty pounds per annum with a lease in reversion for the benefit of wife and children to be but a reasonable allowance for the one; whilst bore twenty pounds per annum without either live●y or lease in reversion is held a Lordly allowance for the Minister. An evident demonstration of the large competency we should have, if we should leave God's claim and our right of inheritance in tenth, to come to man's allowance.  
I ●enie not, b●t some men will use some Prophet● kindly▪ this man, because he is a good fellow and good compame; another, because h● is well bo●ne and well friended, such an one as is better able by his pu●se and friends to bestead his neighbours, than they him. Others, more dainty eared then ten●er conscioned, are all for ●o●gue and eloquence; other●, discon●●●ted with that little glory and maintenance the Church hath yet left, if they ●●n meet with a discontented Separatist, do honour h●m like a S. Paul, or S. Augustin●: and indeed, as these time, go, the more factious, the more in some men's books. But to find a m●n that loves, respects, and entertain ●s a Prophet in the name of a Prophet; this is a task for which a m●n had need, with Diogen●●, to use a lantern at noon day. So that as one h●th w●tt●ly defined a Papist, to be such an one as loves his Neighbour, and cates his God; another a Puritan, to be such an one as loves God, but hates his Neighbour: so may I no les●e truly define a common Professor of these times, to be such an one as loves preaching, but hates the Preacher. Never more calling upon them for Se●mons at all hands, never les●e respect had unto their persons or maintenance; dealing with the Ministers, as Pharaoh with the Israelites, doubling our task, but lessening our straw; or giving us by their good wills nothing but straw for all our great pain and perilous labours.  
Neither are these all the evils that attend the Clergy of these times, but there be two particulars more which much help to increase their miseries.  
The first is the consideration of the reasons alleged why they are not so religiously devoted and affected towards God's house and Ministers as formerly; namely, for fear lest we should grow rich and proud, and trample upon the Laity, as in times of Popery; or lest if they should be curious in decking God's house, pious in maintaining and reverencing his Ministers, they should make way to bring in Popery and superstition.  
For answer, I deny not but the Clergy in times of Popery were too covetous, too proud, too superstitious; but because they then fleeced the Laity, must the Laity now needs fl●●●● the Clergy? because the Pope in his pride trampled on the neck of Kings, must every ordinary person, who hath but a little more wealth or honour then his neighbours, trample on the heads of our greatest Clergy? because they were too curious and superstitious, must we needs be careless and irreligious? It stands not with our profession, much less with our religion. And as for bringing in of Popery by this means, it is so little to be feared, that I dare say, the neglect of these forenamed particulars, is and hath been the cause to hold up the head of Popery so much in these Kingdoms: it being a principle, not only in Religion, but Nature, that where there is a neglect of God's house, a contempt of his Ministers, either in withholding that honour and maintenance, or withdrawing that respect and countenance which is due unto them, the profession of religion in such person's c●● never be sound or sincere.  
The second evil aggravating the misery of the Church and Churchmen, is the consideration of the persons who have been & are so injurious unto them, who are not only Laymen, FILII ALIENI, Ammon and Amaleck, the Philistines, and those of Tyre, who take the houses of God into possession, whose sole and greatest part of patrimony consists of the revenues of the Church: (for it is no wonder that those malign us, seeing that as a th●ese or murderer hates none so much as the persons and friends of them whom they have rob or murdered; so it is impossible that these men should look upon the thin cheeks, bare clothing, & base respect of God's Ministers, and compare them with their own well furnished tables, rich and gorgeous attire, great estimation and account, and all this arising out of the Ministers maintenance, but that, their own consciences accusing them with theft and murder, the persons of Churchmen of all other should be most hateful unto them:) these, I say, are not only of our backe-friends, but Perditio ●ua ex teô Israel, there are d● nobis, such who have made an entrance into sacred orders, and so are, or at least ought to be of us, to maintain the honour, credit; rites and privileges of God in his Church against the enemies and adversaries thereof; yet fear not both by pen and preaching publicly and privately to seek the ruin, destruction, and overthrow of the same. I know generally, and for the most part these are only your fratres sportulantes, your Friar mendicants, stipendiary Preache●s, together with your rambling crew of wand'ring Levites; who though they seem to hate nothing more than a Bishop, and double benefice, yet would they willingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, be busy Superintendents over all the Parishes in a Country. Whose maintenance ariseth as they can raise faction; and whose faction increaseth by setting the Pastor and the Parish together by the ears; and no better way & means for these purposes, then to equal or prefer their private meetings & places thereof, with or before the public meetings of God's Church; denying the payment of tithes to be due jure divino, leaving their maintenance to every man's particular bounty, and goring the sides of their fellow Ministers by false and scandalous accusations and aspersions; by which means they have so screwed themselves into the affections of the Laity (who had rather give twelvepences of bounty to a stranger, than two pe●ce of duty to their own Pastor) that no men live so richly, none more contentedly; whilst in the mean time, the Parsons & Vicars live no where in more disgrace, in no places so unquletly and discontentedly, as where such kind of teachers live, and are frequent. But if these men did rightly understand what belonged to ● cure of souls, nay if they preferred not their own glory before Gods, and the filling of their own purses before the feeding of men's souls, making their gain their godliness; it is impossible that they should write, preach, and do so opposite, not only to the text of God's word, but the testimony of their own consciences, which cannot but convince them either of wilful ignorance, or obstinate error, in running such irregular and irreligious courses. Neither are these only our back friends (who I may truly say are amongst us, but not of us) but there are (the greater our misery) ex nostris, such who know the Law, that they who do such things are worthy of death; more, who are placed in high place in the Church, for the protecting of it, and the rites thereof, and to punish those that do contrary; yet these men, either do● the same things, or at least are patrons, and savourors of them that do them. So that the Church, or God for his Church may justly take up that complaint of the Prophet, It is not mine enemy that doth me this wrong, but my familiar friend that eats at my table, yea whose table I have filled with a full hand; he hath lift up his he●le, tongue, hand, and all against me.  
But when I speak in these general terms I would not be thought to be like Eliah, that I only were left a friend to God's house and his inheritance; nay there are (the Lord be blessed for it) many thousands in the Church of England who have not bowed their knees to Baal, who have not yet put to their hands for the pulling down of God's Sanctuary, the robbing God of his tithes, or abusing his Ministers. And here I may not forget that mirror of piety in this kind, I mean K. james our late Sovereign, ever of blessed memory; who for his zeal to God's house, his care for the advancement and increase of true religion, and for his love to God's Ministers, may well be called another Solomon: witness his care in his first settling, to settle religion as the foundation of his other buildings, and to establish to this end all things in order and peace in the Church, with his constant course for the maintenance and increase of the same: witness his forwardness, not only to provoke others by command, but by example, by his own purse and bounty to repair Churches in diverse parts of this Kingdom, to restore and endow, yea to raise Bishopprickeses and other maintenances for the Clergy, both in Scotland and other parts of his dominions: witnes●e his love in restoring Bishops and others to their ancient privileges and dignities, to be not only a sacrts, but secretioribus consil●is, of his sacred, but most secret and private counsels: witness his readiness and forwardness of all hands to do the Church any good; even to the restoring of her right in tithes. In all which particulars had the hearts of his Subjects been upright with God and him, as were solomon's in the dedication of the Temple; I doubt not, but as in other things, so in this I may truly call him another Solomon. Neither are our hopes any whit lessened in his Kingly Son Royal King Charles our most gracioas Sovereign, who is the lively image of his Royal Father for interior virtues and endowments of soul and mind, especially those which have been the greatest glory of Christian Kings, and wherein his Royal Father placed his highest pitch of content and happiness, to be the Defender of the Christian faith, a Nurse of God's Church, a Patron and Protector of his worship, with all the places, persons, and rices thereunto appertaming and belonging. To there two tall Cedars of the world's Libanus may we add many strong and goodly Oaks of our English Basan, as many a I●ho●ada, Obediah, Centurion, Reverend Bishops, Right Honourable Counsellors, with other Nobles of high rank and degree, truly borne Gentry, who neither leaning to su●●●st●●●on o● t●● right hand, nor to faction on the left h●nd, but walking up rightly with their God ●n tru●h ●nd sincerity of true religion, labo●● to testify the sa●e by their b●uary to God's house, and respect to ●is M●n st●r●▪ and I wo●ld these were not ●●●rmed your stat●▪ P●●●●stan's, your temporising professors, nay friends and ●betters of P●p●ry and su●●●●t●●ion: yea Ces●rea 〈◊〉 a ●ornel●u●▪ ●o●pa a Simon, ●p●●s●s a Priscilla, etc. ●a●● G●●●t●●n● are their ●● many p●r●s of this kingdom, who for the good of God's house and ●is Minist●●● would willingly pl●ck●●ut their own eyes; and howsoever the world accounts of them, yet I do●b● n●t ba● at the general d●y of accounts these shall pass freely with a Scio and Place● for me● t●●ely w●●e and religious, when their sco●ners shall be stayed with a Nes●i● and a No● placet, as being unworthy of any degree or place in the Kingdom of heaven. Thus I say there are some of all ranks, orders, and degrees, who like joseph and jacob bring God's blessing, and with Moses in the gap withhold God's hand from his fierce judgement: who (maugre all the spite and malice of Satan and his abettors, the enemies of God and his inheritance) are and will be liberal towards the maintenance of his house, respectful of his Ministers, willingly and liberally honouring them both with maintenance and countenance. But alas these are but as a gathering after vintage, and a gleaning after harvest, if you come to Voxpopuli, the general cry of the general number, who either can or will cry no other song then that of the Chaldeans at the sacking of jerusalem, Down with Churches, away with tithes, let us trample both them and their Priests down to the ground.  
All which duly considered, as it gives all true hearted Christians just cause to lament and bewail the wretched and miserable estate and condition of men in these times; so gives it us no less cause to fear, that God hath some extraordinary plague or other in store for us, which without repentance will speedily and suddenly fall upon us; yea Gods judgements, as a just punishment of this sin, are already fallen upon us. And that it may appear to others▪ that this fear is not causeless, this assertion truthless, let us take into our consideration these three texts of Scripture: the first is that of Deut. 28. 15. 16. 17. etc.  
From whence I make this inference, that if he which keeps not all God's Commandments shall be obnoxious and liable to all these curses (many of them fitly squaring with the evils of these times;) why should not the committing of that sin which at once breaks seven of the ten Commandments? For what man can truly say he loves, fears, or trusts in God, when he regards not his house, nor his Ministers; but robs both him and them of that maintenance which he hath reserved to himself for that purpose? or how can God be worshipped with holy worship▪ how can his Sabbaths be duly & holily kept; how can we be said to honour our parents, when our spiritual Fathers are not only contemned, but rob of those things which God hath allotted for their better maintenance? and lastly, if to covet not only Gods, but the Minister's house, wife, maintenance etc. to rob God of his tithes▪ and that to the grinding of his Ambassadors faces▪ be not a breach of the 6, 8, and 10 commandment, impossible it is that they should be broken▪ I say, all these considered, why may not this sin which thus at once violates 7 of the 10, be the very cause, or at least one of the principal causes of all the evils that are lately fallen upon us?  
But because general threats take small place in removing particular and accustomed sins, in the next place view and consider HAG. 1. and MALACH. 3. the one concerns God's house, the other his tithes, both his Ministers respect and maintenance; where if we compare the sins and punishments there mentioned for those sins, with these times, we shall find them in many points fitly to answer one another.  
For first for the sins, was there ever any age wherein men might more truly be said to dwell in seiled houses, and God's house lie waste; whenas the houses of every ordinary Esquire, for glory without and rich and costly furniture within, is answerable to the ancient mansions of Nobles, yea palaces of Kings, whilst God's house was never less glorious without, never more poor and bare within? Or was there ever any age wherein men might more justly be accused for robbing God of his tithes and offerings, than this of ours; who rob him not only of superstuities, but of his very tithes of inheritance; allowing in many places hardly a tenth, nay not a twentieth part even of that which he hath wholly reserved for him and his?  
And for the punishments, they are no less answerable: let ●e give you a bill of so●e particulars: and! ●●●in, not to ascend higher, then since the time that that mystery of iniquity the History of tithes was first revealed to the world, since which time the sin of sacrilege hath turned Catholik-christian, a warrantable sin, if not a commendable virtue▪ but yet not impunè▪ for was there ever any age wherein hath been no●ed more frequent exportations of English commodities, especially of the fruits and increase of the earth, but with less accrument and advantage either to the exporters, or to the kingdom? and hath not experience taught us of late times, that our barns some yeare●, have scarce ever been fuller of straw, and yet at the very self same time our garners seldom emptier of corn? have not our fields some times laughed and sung as it were with a promising harvest, and yet our sheaves when they came to undergod the thresher's flail, have wept as it were and shrunk away, not fearing so much the blow of Tribulation, as conscious to themselves of their own inability to satisfy the husbandman's labour & expectation? And why may not this (to pass all others) be a very pithy and satisfying reason, viz, God seeing men hug and fat themselves in their own conceits with hopes and expectations of great increase, but like the hog under the tree never looking up to the Author of their welfare, grudging God a cut of his own loaf▪ and basely denying, as their man●er is, the repayment of a tenth for the frc● donation of an hundred fold; why I say might not this be ● just inducement to Almighty God to blow upon their harvest, and so sometimes frustrate their greatest expectations? And again, was there ever any age, wherein the most pregnant men have more beat their brains by new projects and devises, to fill both the public treasury and their own private purses, but with less success and honour to their erterprises? so that it may truly be said as it is in HAGG. 1. 6. They have so●●n much and brought in little; eaten, but not had enough▪ drunken yet not b●●●● satisfied; they have fit as it were upon addle eggs, taken up their Inn at the Labour in vai●●▪ their wages and earningss have been trussed up in a broken bag.  
To add to these, hath not the Turk, and D●nkirk, and other enemies (as our haven-Townes too well know by experience) much destroyed and endamaged us abroad? and at home have not our informers, projectors, monopolists, that hellish brood of state-horsleatches, sucked out almost the very hearts of the subjects purses▪ if not of the King's treasury? hath not the Lord thundered divers 〈…〉 from heaven, shot out his arrows of wrath and indigna●●●●, the arrow I mean that flieth by night, and devoureth thousand● at noon day, and no doubt for our reformation and amendment as well of this crying sin of sacrilege, as of any o●her gross enormities whatsoever? Is not our kingdom at this present involved and perplexed with many perilous and hazardous engagements, the success whereof in likelihood depends upon the reformation as well of this as of any our other intolerable impieties? And lastly, how ever dulc● b●llum inexp●rtis, war was the votes and desires of many men during the times of quietness and peace; yet upon this little experience we have had of late, we quickly perceive how great a devourer war is both of the public and private stock; and consequently a punishment upon a kingdom, though never so justly and necessarily undertaken. To these might be added many more; but I had rather d●ale ●y instances in this kind by weight then number.  
Neither will▪ it serve for excuse to say that the defacing of God's house and the alienation of his tithes to the dishonour of God, and the prejudice of his Ministers, was an act of our forefathers done many years since, and it is not like that God after so long a time will punish the sins of the fathers upon the children: or if it were a sin, it was done by the exemplary practice of the Church, who suffered them to be so alienated: that our Ministers are not so many as were amongst the jews, and those not so good in these times as to deserve so great a portion for their maintenance as the tenth of the whole land and kingdom.  
For to answer each in a word; For the first, I say it will not excuse the edging of the children's teeth that their fathers have eaten sour grapes; & how soever God doth not always punish the sins of the fathers in and upon the children▪ 〈◊〉 if the children live and continue in their father's sinne●, wickedly to possess that which their fathers wickedly got, in the punishment of the child the father's sins are not forgotten, though it be to a fourth generation.  
Neither in the second place can the Churches practise in times past be any warrant or excuse for the practice of these times: for if they speak of the first alienation in the times of the Schoolmen, though they were alienated from the true use of parochial right, yet not altogether from the use of the Church; Monasteries, whether of Monks, Friars or Nun●, whether regulars or seculars, being accounted the greatest and principal amongst Churchmen in those times.  
Again, how weak a reasoning is this, to reason from the corrupted times of the Church, the days of cove tousnes and ignorance, wh●n Popery and superstition were at their height, to maintain the self same practice in these days, these glorious days of the glorious light of the Gospel? We hate to follow them in all other doctrine and practices, why should we go● beyond them in this?  
If they speak of the times of the dissolution in the Reign of King Henry the eighth, I answer more than what I have said in this particular before; that I never heard any understanding man either Protestant or Papist, though he can be content to hold tithes by virtue of the practice of the Church in those times, but he accounted of the taking away of the tithes as a thing in its own nature wicked, a practice neither warrantable by the rules either of religion or reason. And howsoever the Ministers of these times are not so many as were the Levites for proportion with the rest of the people, and these not all so good as were to be desired, yet God who demands the tenth, and from whom we receive the whole, is no changeling, but always one and the same both to us and them: or if there be any odds, it is on our part, in that what we want in number we have double in the excellency of our ministry and ministerial function with the glad tidings we bring men: and let them make the worst of us they can, they ca●not make us worse than were the Priests and Levites in the days of Malachi and of our Saviour Christ, yea I dare say there are now in these kingdoms more and more able men for the work of the ministry, and more conscionable for the performing their duties, than ever were since the first settling of the Gospel in these parts. And lastly, for the length of time since the first alienation of them, whether they understand it of the time of Alexander H●les, or the days of King Henry the eiphth, I answer, Nullum ●e● pus occurrit Reg●, time will not prescribe the title of an earthly King, and shall it stand good against the right and inheritance of the King of heaven? Secondly, God hath not altogether deferred to punish us in all these times, but hath sent amongst us many, and those extraordinary punishments, though we have slightly regarded them, or at least not accounted them as punishments for these sins principally amongst others. But say God had not hitherto, yet now he hath: and it is not usual wi●h God to punish sin always at the first, but only in his dearest children: as for obstinate sinners, he lets them go on in their sins till they come to their full height, that so he may punish them with more severity. And if this sin of sacrilege were at the height in any age, Church, or Kingdom, we may truly say these are the times, in that, notwithstanding the glorious light of the Gospel hath shined so many years together amongst us, notwithstanding the glorious example of a religious King, the great number of able Ministers, and the daily endeavour of these Ministers (yea of Laymen themselves, the more their 
S● Hen. Spilman. S●. james Sempill.  honour) both by preaching and writing to withdraw men from this sin, by drawing them to give God his due both in his house and inheritance; yet men grow worse and worse, their hearts in this sin more and more hardened; yea so impudent and brazen faced are men grown, that they dare maintain it not only by private practice, but public pen, shouldering God and his servants out of their own, either by plain force of arms, or tricks of playing legerdemain. All which considered gives us just cause to believe that this sin is not only one chief cause of the present evils in & of these times, but that God hath some other great plague to punish us withal, without our speedy and hearty repentance; that God should take from us the light of his Gospel, & send us a famine of his word as he hath of other his blessings, the next step to the utter destruction both of souls and bodies: from which evil the Lord for his mercy's sake long keep & defend us! And that we may the better hope and expect his mercy therein, let us every one in his particular rank, order, quality, and condition, labour for the good of God's house, and give unto his Ministers that countenance and maintenance he hath given them, and requires on their behalf at our hands towards them.  
And first, right honourable judges the pillars both of Church and common wealth, let me entreat you in the name of God and his Church, that as your laws and judgements flow from the seas of God's laws and statutes, so they may return thither again in streams, to the maintenance of the same with all the parts and persons belonging thereunto; that you would be pleased in your circuit to take a view of the ruins and decays of God's house, the place where his honour dwelleth; and amongst other particulars of your charge, help forward men's backward devotion, by teaching them the dues, and bewailing the ruins of the same.  
And seeing that the sin of sacrilege is grown to that height, that men fear not by perjury to hazard their own souls for the committing of it, that you would be pleased to suppress the great number of prohibitions granted in that case, the cause of this evil to the damning of many a soul; and that you would consider in the case of prohibitions and suits of this kind, the nature, quality, condition, both of witnesses and jurors, informing them not only of the truth of the evidence, but of the nature of the fin both of sacrilege and perjury with the judgements of God necessarily following upon the same.  
And seeing we that are God; Ministers do not withdraw ourselves from the secular yoke and power, but acknowledge ourselves to be bound in all obedience to our civil Magistrates, both King as supreme, and his Ministers under him; that you would be pleased to inform all men of the quality and condition of our persons and places, to teach them the bounds and limits of their power, that so we may not be made a daily pray to the insulting humour of every man in inferior place and office.  
And as I have been bold to make this request to your Lordships, so give me leave to second the same to all, that every one in his several rank and degree endeavour the reformation of these sins and abuses both in themselves and in others. And to this end, let us not look so often on our stately built houses, so well beautified without, and so well furnished within, and seeing God's house having neither glory without, nor beauty within (the Gospel excepted;) but lying ruinated and in the dust; let us call to mind what a sin it is for us to dwell in our seiled houses, and God's house lie waste; and so to our several qualities and abilities cast some few mi●es into the treasury of the Sanctuary for their repair and maintenance. So often as you look upon your rich tapestry carpets, pure and fine linen, rich and well furnished cubboards of plate of all sorts and fashions, think it a shame for you to be thus richly and abundantly stored, and God's house and ●abl● in the mean time so basely & contemptibly provided; and spar● something out of your superfluiti to God's honour for the beautifying of the same. So often as you walk into your well grown fields abounding with all sorts of grain and other things necessary for your corporal sustenance, your garners full abounding with all manner of store, your sheep and oxen bringing forth thousands and ten thousands in your pastures, your sons growing up like young plants, your daughters like polished corner-stones, yourselves and servants and cattles healthful and strong to labour for the daily increase of your states; call to mind from whom (namely God alone) you receive all these blessings and abundance; and think it a shame to detain from him and his that small portion of tenth that he hath reserved for himself and his Ministers for the better feeding and nourishing of your souls. And that the Merchant and Tradesman may not think himself exempted from this duty, because his gains are not so easily known and descried; so often as he views his ship● come safe from sea, full richly stowed with all manner of choice & time-serving commodities, filling his warehouse and returning to his coffers an hundred fold for his outsent adventures; so often as he beholds his shop thronging with chapmen for the venting of those his fare feucht or home made commodities, so greatly enriching▪ his estate that he is able yearly to add house unto house, land unto land, lordship unto lordship, till he know no end of his wealth; rising, as in estate so in honour, from the lowest to the highest rank and degree for the place wherein he lives: let him seriously call to mind from whom he receives all these blessings, and think it a shame, yea a sin to receive all this from the hands of God daily, and in the mean time to return him thankes with a two penny dole at Easter, or if he stretch himself to a ten shillings gift (for due he will acknowledge none) to hold it a work of supererogation, for which God and his Minister are bound unto him all the year after in all things to be at his command, whilst in the mean time his poorest tenant in the country, who sits upon racked rents, and hath no more besides his handy labour but a Cow, Goose, and Sow for the maintenance of himself and family, shall return God by way of thankfulness double his proportion, and bless God that he hath it to render him by the hands of his Ministers.  
And howsoever we your poor Ministers are but men subject to the same infirmities with yourselves (yea, as Saint Chrysostome affirmeth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 
Chrysost. Hom. 1. in cap. 1. Tit.  quan●ò celsior dignitas, tantò Sacerdotis majora sunt pericula) who in regard of the excellency of our callings, and opposition of Satan against us in the same, are subject to more dangers than others, and so our slips and falls more and more notorious then of those in other callings; yet remember we are Regale Sacerdotium, we are Gods Ambassadors, beseeching you in Christ his stead, representing his person; and so afford unto●u● that due honour that our places and callings require; though not for our own, yet for his sake that sent us: and in a word to conclude all with that saying of holy Nazianzene; O ye sheep, take not upon you to prescribe rules and laws of maintenance to your shepherds; neither encroach upon their privileges and possessions; let it suffice you that you are rightly fed; take not upon you to ●udge your judges, nor give laws, to your lawgivers; remembering always that not you nor we ourselves, but God hath made u● th● Pastors of your souls: or to use the Lords own 
●li 20. 23.  words HAG. 1. 8. Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorifyed● and MALACH. 3. 10. 11. 12. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be mea●e in my house, and prove me now herewith, if I will not open you ●●e windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it; And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before her time in the fields of the Lord of hosts: And all nations shall call you blessed; for you shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. Of which blessings that we may be partakers, he grant us to do what he commands, even the God of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, to whom be glory and honour from generation to generation.  
FINIS.   

¶ A brief Prescript to the Appendix.  
AFter this discourse had lain five years by me, and had taken its last farewell of me for the Press, and was at the instant of printing, there came to my hands a manuscript of an unknown Author, written by way of answer to Doct. CARLTON, St. HENRY SPILMAN, M. ROBERTS, and others, the which when I had read over I found it to be a mere invective, written with the pen of some malicious Martin Mar-prelate, containing as many scurrilous raylings as pages, more lies than leaves; and so unworthy of answer. Yet being certified by the friend that brought it, that it passed from hand to hand amongst many of our Gentry in these Northern parts, and that with so great approbation, that some of them were resolved to have it printed at Amsterdam, the most proper place to bring forth such a birth; I thought it would not be altogether unnecessary, to add this brief answer by way of Appendix to my former discourse, that so if it came to any of these gentlemen's hands (seeing both the weakness and the wickedness of their so much admired and adored Idol) they might reform their error, and embrace the truth. The sum of which discourse, I have drawn into these five following heads; the residue being, not worth the answering, or already answered in the former part of this Book  

ARGUMENTUM I.  
MOses in the book of Genesis sets down no Law of Priesthood, or tithing of force with God's people in those days; therefore the instances of Melchisedeck and jacob, brought to prove the divine right of tithes, prove nothing in this question, that they were of general and necessary use in those times.  
First, we say that the Church of God was then contained 
Respon. 1.  in one, or a very few families; so that there was no necessity of a general Law, either of Priesthood or tithes: the eldest in the family being as a Priest to the rest.  
Secondly, God taught not his Patriarches lege scriptà, as 
2  he did his Church afterward; but specials instinctis, by special revelation and instinct, which to them was instar legis supra legem, as sure and strongly binding as any written law: God himself being their Priest, revealing himself & his will by dreams and visions; and immediately blessing his Church, as after he did by his Priests and Prophets, Vrim and Thummim under the Laws and by his Apostles, Evangelists, and Pastors now under the Gospel.  
Thirdly, he that hath but half an eye may perceive 
3  that Moses in his book of Genesis doth not write an exact continued story of all things, as he doth in his other books, but only so much as may show the continued success of God's Church from family to family, until such time as God established a Nationall church visible to the eye of the world, together with some other occurrences, as were worthy the knowledge of God's Saints, either to be imitated or avoided in all succeeding ages: so that if there had been mention made of tithes paid but once in that story, it had been sufficient premises to have drawn a necessary conclusion for the general practice of those times. But to have two such remarkable examples; the one of Abraham the father of the faithful (the jews not only after the flesh, but after the spirit, the Church Evangelicall) paying tithes not to a Legal Priest, but to Melchisedeck, the Typical Priest of the New Testament; the other of jacob (the head of Israel's family, and the jewish Church after the flesh, in whose family the visible Nationall church of the jews was first founded and established) vowing the tenth of his estate to God, the then immediate Priest of his Church. These two instances, I say, of Abraham and jacob rendering to God by way of thankfulness for his blessings, not an eighth, ninth, eleventh, or twelfth, but in a quota of tenth (the same quota being established afterward by God so soon as ever he settled a Church and Priesthood) are sufficient to enforce the general practice, not only for those times, but for all succeeding times, so long as God should continue a Church or Priesthood, or at least till he should prescribe some new law to the contrary.  
But against these instances he makes many exceptions. First, against the practice of Melchisedeck he allegeth, 
Object.  that this Melchisedeck was Christ himself, appearing in the form and shape of a man, and blessing Abraham.  
First, both David and Paul cross this assertion, who 
Solut. 1.  make Melchisedeck a type of Christ, PSAL. 110. and HEB. 7. unless we will make Christ a type of himself.  
Secondly, say we should grant this; what would then 
Solut. 2.  follow, but that Christ (being the everlasting Bishop of our souls, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; upon whose Priesthood all other Priesthoods have sole dependence; of whom all other Priests are either types, or to whom they are substitutes) blessing Abraham, & receiving tithes in lieu thereof, in the person, office, and order of Priesthood, and that before the Law established, must needs infer the payment of tithes in their quotá to Christ and his Priests throughout all generations? Yea, to have a Priest no sooner named in the book of God, but tithes to him paid, doth so necessarily conjoin them, that none but he that will make himself a professed enemy to Christ and his Priests can disjoin them.  
But we read that the Egyptians had Priests who received 
Object.  no tithes; therefore Priests and tithes are not relata so necessarily conjoined.  
How proves he this assertion? We find mention only of their lands, & allowance made by the King in the time of famine; therefore they had no tithes. Martin Mar-prelate to a hair.  
Why should not Moses his mentioning tithes paid by 
Solut.  Abraham and vowed by jacob, as well prove the affirmative for the practice of God's Church and people for the payment of Tithes? or what hath Baal and his service to do with God and his service? I have read that the heathen have been Apes to God's people, for the manner of divine worship, but never that the Saints were to be regulated by the heathen. But to shape an answer to the objection, why may not I say that the King of Egypt receiving a fifth part of all increase of his land, included in that fifth the Priests tenth; maintaining them in the time of dearth out of his own store? By which means he did not only take from the Priests the envy of the people, but maintained them & theirs better then otherways their lands & tithes would have done. Sure I am that many a Minister in these days who hath a competent living in time of plenty, would be glad the King would take the like care for him in time of scarcity: all that he can say against me is but a non est scriptum, Moses writes not so much: howsoever sure I am there is a scriptum est, first against his sacrilege; for when the King bought all the land of his people, he bought not the Priest's land: secondly against his contributory competency; for the Egyptian Priests lived not of the contribution of the people, but had lands of their own, and when those lands were not able to relieve them, the King left them not to the mercy of the people, but maintained them out of his own store.  
Against the practice of jacob he thus reasons; Vows 
Object.  are to be made only of things indifferent, such things as are in our power to do, or not to do; but jacob vowed tithes; therefore the payment of tithes is not necessary but a thing indifferent.  
First, I answer that the law of vowing or vows, was 
Solut.  made after jacob, and therefore if there were any such clause in it, yet it bond not jacob: if he say the law made by Moses serves as a rule for all ages, why then not the law of tithing, which he cannot deny, but under the Law was a duty necessary? But to draw near to an answer, Vows, saith the Author, were to be made of things only indifferent, not necessary. I ask then whether we may swear to the performance of things necessary; if we may, than we may vow to perform whatsoever we may swear to perform: but we may swear the performance of things necessary: ergò.  
Obedience to Kings is a thing necessary, ROM. 13. 1; but we may swear obedience to Kings. To forsake the Devil and all his works is a duty necessary; but we may not only vow this in baptism, but take the Sacrament after to bind us to the performance of that vow: nay if we may not vow things necessary, why did jacob vow that the Lord should be his God ● And whereas vows are defined to be promissiones spontaneae voluntary promises and actions, they are not so termed in relation to the substance and matter of the things vowed, but to the persons vowing, and the law whereby no man is bound necessarily to make a vow of any thing. But for the thing vowed, if it be a thing in its own nature lawful to be done, be it of things necessary or indifferent, it must be performed; As for the instance of Iephta's, Saul's, and the Israelites vows, the things vowed were unlawful and therefore prove nothing to this question.  
But tithes were Gods own before, as is alleged; then 
Object.  was it idleness in jacob to vow them. And he confirms his assertion thus; God forbade the children of Israel to vow their first borne, because they were his own before.  
First, I say as before, that a law made many years after, 
Solut.  binds not for the time past. Secondly, observe the wickedness of this man, who rather than jacobs' practice shall be of force to prove the divine right of tithes, will make jacob to be both an idle and wicked companion, doing things not only unnecessary, but unlawful. Thirdly, suppose God had made such a law concerning the first borne; what is that to tithes, unless God had made the like law for them? Fourthly, where doth he find such a law, wherein God forbade the Israelites to vow their first borne, because they were his? I read in the last of Leviticus of such a law made concerning the firstlings of beasts, as of oxen and sheep, but not of man or aught else; nay, in the same Chapter and elsewhere, God gives express command for the sanctification of the first borne of man, though not for the office of Priesthood, as before: because Levi was now chosen to that office; yet to be at God's disposal and command. And for the lawfulness of vowing the first borne, it is evident in Anna's vowing Samuel. Lastly, in the said Chapter there is a law of tithing expressed both for matter and manner, what and how they ought to be paid, and how to be redeemed. But nothing either in that place, or any else impugns the lawfulness of vowing them to the Lord. And thus much for the first argument.   

ARGUMENTUM 11.  
THe distinction of Parishes was and is humane, and of humane constitution, not divine; therefore tithes are only humane, and of humane constitution.  
If I should deny his proposition, & say that all distinction 
Respons.  of Parishes was not, is not humane, and of humane constitution, I could more easily prove my negative then he his affirmative: but the consequence is so infirm, I may spare that labour. For tithes were not therefore given and paid, because Parishes were divided; but Parishes were divided that tithes might in a convenient and competent manner be conferred upon God's Ministers according to their merits, and the quantity, quality, and estate of the persons and places committed to their charge. And for the truth of his conclusion, I may as well reason thus; Set times of prayer, of preaching, and administering the Sacraments are of humane constitution; therefore prayers, preaching, and the Sacraments are humane. But I see the drift of this Gentleman; he would have both humane and divine Law to bind all God's Ministers strictly to their task of preaching, etc. but the people at liberty what to give them for their pains, or at most, bound only by man's law, which this Gentleman and those of his opinion hold themselves bound to observe no longer than they shall like and approve of their Ministers. And indeed this is one argument whereby he labours to infringe the divine right of tithes.  
God established no special law for the punishment of 
Object.  such as should detain tithes; therefore they were not moral. But he forgetteth, that as God chose Levi 
Solut.  under the Law, and chooseth all lawfully called Ministers under the Gospel, to and for his special service, to teach, bless, and pray for his people, giving them his own portion of tithes for their inheritance, accounting the honour done to them as done to himself, the robbing them the robbing of himself; so hath he promised that he in a special manner will be their revenger: And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; as the jews did often by experience too well know even for this very sin in special. Or if this answer will not satisfy, I add further, that as Solon ordaining laws, made none against the sin of Parricide, because he thought no man could be so inhumanely cruel, as to commit it: so God (I speak with reverence to his prescience and omniscience) thought no man to be so gracelesly unthankful, as to deny a tenth to him from whom he received the whole; and therefore made no law for the punishment of such oftenders.   

ARGUMENT. 111.  
THe third argument may thus be framed; Where there is an end of the work, there the wages cease: but the work, in recompense whereof tithes were by God given, is at an end: therefore tithes.  
The minor they thus prove, Tithes were given for the service of the Tabernacle; but the Tabernacle and service thereof are at an end; ergò. The service of the Tabernacle for which God gave tithes, consisted in carrying the Tabernacle, offering Sacrifices, with the performance of other ceremonial rites and services; but all these are ceased; ergò.  
For answer, though I might justly deny the first proposition, 
Resp.  that where the work is changed there must needs be a change of the wages (one and the same wages being given for works of divers kinds) yet I will not insist thercupon, but will examine the Levites work with their wages, setting down certain Theses as necessary conclusions, by way of answer to the former objections.  
First for wages; And here not to speak of the first fruits, freewill offerings, and oblations etc. but only to insist upon the wages of tithes, we read in the Scripture of a fourfold tithe in use amongst the jews, and that by God his special appointment.  
The first was called the tithe of inheritance, or the tithe of all the increase of the seed that the field brought forth every year, DEUT. 14 22. together with a tenth of whatsoever passed under the rod, or what else they possessed; This was separated in the field before they might bring aught into the barn, or might intermeddle with any thing for thei● own use.  
The second is mentioned DEUT. 14. 23. and was called the second tithe, which was a full tenth of the nine parts, remaining after the deduction of the first tenth, and which was to be eaten before the Lord, in the place wherein he should put his name, by the Owners, Priests and Levites, at the time of their public Feasts and solemn assemblies: And both these were to be paid yearly; neither might the people use any of the rest till such time as these two tithes were separated from it; the latter whereof might be changed into money, vers. 25. but the former not.  
The third was a third tenth payable only every third year, and so was called the tithe of the third year, which was a tenth part, for quota, out of the eight parts remaining, the two former tithes first deducted; which was laid up within the gates of their several Cities for the releise of the Levite, the stranger, fatherless, and widows within their gates; DEUT. 14. 28. 29.  
The fourth was decima decim●, the tenth of a tenth, the tenth part of the tithe of inheritance, offered by the Levites as an heave-offering to the Lord for the use of Aaron the Priest, and accounted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-sloor, and the increase of the winepress: after which, and not before, they might account the tithes their own, which they might lawfully eat in every place with their houshoulds.  
In which particular donation and constitution three things are remarkable: First, that this heave-offering of their tithes should be reckoned to the Levites as though it were the corn of the threshing-sloore, and the fullness of the winepress. Secondly, they might not without sin rate any of their tithes before they had paid out this tithe; intimating in my poor judgement thus much unto the Levites, that when the time should come that the Priesthood should cease from their Tribe, and themselves cease from the service of the Tabernacle, enjoying inheritance of lands, and dressing and tilling them as the rest of their brethren; yet than should not all Priesthood cease, nor tithes to that Priesthood, nor yet might they exempt themselves from paying tithes, because they were descended from Levi's loins; but they should pay a full tenth of their come and wine, and other substance, as they formerly had done out of their inheritance of tithes, unto whomsoever it should please the Lord to confer the office of Priesthood; neither should they account aught their own, until they had so paid their tithes. Thirdly, this tenth being paid, it was lawful for them to eat the rest, not only at jerusalem, but in any other place where their household remained. So much for the Wages.  
The Service of the Tabemacle was such as the Priests and Levites were to perform, either about, within, or without the Tabernacle.  
By their service about the Tabernacle, I understand the preparing of it for carriage, and the bearing thereof. NUMB. 4.  
Their service within the Tabernacle, was partly Ceremonial and Typical, and partly Moral.  
The Ceremonial was either of the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Tabernacle of Witness, EXOD. 25. or Sanctum, the Tabernacle of the Congregation, EXOD. 26. Now the service hereof was about the Candlesticks, Shewbread, LEVIT. 24. the golden Altar of incense, EXOD. 30. the brazen Altar, EXOD. 27. appointed for burnt. offerings, LEVIT. 1. 2. 3. peace-offerings, LEVIT. 3. 1. 6. sinne-offerings, LEVIT. 2. 4. 5. etc.  
The Moral service within the Tabernacle, I call reading and expounding the Law, the celebration of public prayers, blessing the people at the end of solemn assemblies, etc. unto which I may add the power of the execution of Ecclesiastical censures.  
Their service without the Tabernacle was either Civil and judicial, consisting in the hearing & determining matters of controversy in all the quarters of Israel, for the better maintenance of piety and religion; or else Moral, as the teaching & instructing their children in their several Cities in the knowledge of the several laws, the better to sit them for the service of the Tabernacle, being Masters of the Schools; or else in reading and expounding the Law, and celebrating of public prayers out of jerusalem, remote from the Tabernacle, either within their own Cities, whereunto the jews generally resorted on Sabbath days and at other times appointed (as some are of opinion) or else within the several Cities of judah and Israel, as may be gathered by that charge so often repeated by the Lord, to have special respect to the Levites within their gates.  
And of these services, some were proper to the Priests, some to the Levites, some common to both. The which who so desires to know, shall find them in the books of Moses, and 1. CHRON. 9 23.  
From these premises these Conclusions will follow.  
1. Tithes were not given to the Levites, as the sons of Levi, but because God had selected that Tribe for the 
Numb. 18. 1. 2. 3. 6.  office of the Priesthood, and service of the Tabernacle, and as assistants to the Priests in the celebration of Divine worship: So if I grant (which you cannot deny) that Priests & Divine worship stand in force; then tithes must necessarily be yielded as due. And I presume this is one chief reason, why the name of Priest is so odious to the Laity, because it infers a necessity of payment of tithes.  
2. In the donation of tithes of inheritance, under the name of the Levites family is included Aaron & his family, as may appear, not only because they communicated with them in their tithes, but all the places of Scripture wherein the grant is made, enforce no less, as will appear by comparing of places, DEUT. 10. NV MR. 18. 20.  
3. So fare forth as the Priesthood and service thereof was levitical, & tied to a certain Tribe, family, number, habit, form, and external order of Legal service, yea in all respects wherein it was a Type of Christ, or had aught to do with things Typical, So it is ceased, but not otherwise.  
4. The tithes of inheritance were not given simply for the service of the Altar, nor yet for carrying of the Tabernacle, by which service this Author and all men generally understand the service of the Tabernacle. For first, the service of the Altar was proper to the Priests only, NV MB. 13. Secondly, in lieu of the service of the Altar the Priests had an other allowance, and that by God's special appointment, NV MB. 18. DEUT. 18. which allowance, for the quota, is ceased together with that service. Thirdly, if tithes had been the wages of the service of the Altar, than those only who had been employed in this service had been partakers thereof; but not only those employed about and within the Tabernacle and Temple, but those without might partake of tithes, ergo etc. Neither could the carrying of the Tabernacle be the service; for the Levites ceased from that service after fifty years of age, during the continuance of the Tabernacle; and after the establishment of the Temple, this service ceased, 1. CHRON. 23. and yet they partaked of tithes.  
5. It remaineth that the service, for which tithes were properly given, was reading the Law, expounding the Law, performing of public prayers, with the rest of the Moral and judicial service both within and without the Tabernacle.  
Lastly, These services are the same for substance under the Gospel, as they were under the Law, and as necessarily required of the Priests and Ministers now under the Gospel, as they were under the Law of the Priests & Levites; therefore, the service being the same by this Adversaries own confession, the wages must needs be the same.  
But against this he objects, and that with many bitter 
Object.  invectives against Doctor Carlton & the rest, That we never read that the Levites read or expounded the Law: & he forceth this exception by that of our Saviour, who told the jews, that the Scribes and Pharises sat in Moses his Chair; but the Scribes and Pharises were not Levites.  
Risum teneatis amici? is it possible that a man should 
Solut.  so peremptorily accuse so reverend a Bishop, so grave and judicious a Knight, and diverse other learned Divines, of ignorance in the Scripture, and yet he himself never have read NEHEM. 8. 7. 1. CHRON. 23. 30. EZRA. 7. 11. 1. CHRON. 24. 6? Or that so great a Rabbi, so universally skilful in all learning and story, as this Author would have the World esteem him to be, should be ignorant that the name of Scribe was the name of a Function and not of a Sect; amongst whom there were as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Temple-Scribes as Towne-Scribes; Scribes, to whom the custody, writing reading, and expounding the Law of God was committed, as Scribes unto whom the custody, writing, and expounding the Records and Laws of the King and Kingdom were entrusted (the which office of Temple-Scribes was proper only to the sons of Levi) and that the name of Pharisee was the name of a Sect and not of a Function; amongst whom there were Priests and Levites and men of all professions, as at this day there are amongst Brownists, Familists, Anabaptists, and other Sectaries?   

ARGUMENT. FOUR  
THe fourth main objection is drawn from the small 
Object.  number of Ministers now under the Gospel, in respect of those under the Law; the Priests and Levites being a twelfth part of the Israelites, whereas now they are hardly the hundreth part of the people; and it is not like that God would allow so great a portion of maintenance to so small a number. This is an usual Argument both with this Author, and frequent in the mouths of all Decato-masticks.  
To which I first answer, that howsoever the number of 
Solut.  Ministers be not the same, yet God is the same, & his right in tithes is the same; and may not God do what he list with his own? God's ways are not as man's, neither is he bound to means, or alligated to number; but he can work as well by few, as by many; much less is he bound to bestow those things which are his, according to man's judgement, or at man's appointment. Suppose God had chosen only Aaron and his family to receive his part of tithes, as he did to the office of Priesthood; had it not been as great a sin for the Israelites to have denied them tithes, because their number was so small, as it was for Korah, Dathan, and Abiram to contest with them about their office of Priesthood? And no less a sin do they commit, who make this an argument to infringe Gods right of tithes to his Ministers, because they are fewer than were the Priests and Levites.  
2. I cannot choose but wonder that this Author, or any of his strain, should make this an argument to oppose the right of tithes, when as in their right understandings, and when they speak the truth from their hearts, they think the number of Priests that receive tithes in these days to be too great; yea, conditionally they might save their tithes, could be content there were no Priests, but that every man might be a Priest to his own family; preferring private conventicles before public Assemblies.  
Thirdly, were the maintenance for Ministers more, their number would soon increase: Let the times of Popery speak for England, when as the Church had gotten a third of the land into their possessions (and the like we may see in other Countries) and I doubt not, but if there were now the like maintenance, the name of Priest now so odious, would be held a name honourable.  
Lastly, If we shall examine the number of the Priests and Levites with their maintenance, as their first fruits, their Therumab, their two tenths, and portion in the tithe of the third year, their parts and portion of sacrifices, with their devoted oblations and freewill-offerings, and all these brought home at the cost & charges of the owners, and to these add their 48 Cities with their suburbs, and compare them with our number and maintenance; it will appear that, for their number, their maintenance exceeded ours in these times, though we should pay the full tenth without fraud, coven, or deceit.  
Had God now under the Gospel made us partakers of worse things, & a meaner Ministry than he did the jews under the Law, & with all had bound us to the like maintenance for his Ministers, we might have had cause to complain; but for God to exceed in his blessings, to make us partakers of better things, and give us a more glorious Ministry, and yet not to require a tithe of that he required of the jews; to grudge and repine to render to God so small a pittance by way of thankfulness for so extraordinary blessings, savours more than jewish covetousness, heathenish impiety and sacrilege.   

ARGUMENT. V  
THe fift and last argument is laid down by way of replication 
Object.  to an allegation made for to prove the divine right of tithes, taken from the judgements of God inflicted in all ages upon Impropriators and sacrilegious persons; to which he thus replieth, That if Ministers children who live upon tithes were examined, they would be found as very unthrifts, as the children of Impropriators.  
By which, as he shows his true love to the poor Clergy, 
Solut.  so his great weakness, greater wickedness: for we ascribe neither the children's wickedness, nor unthriftines, to their Father's sacrilege; nor the consumption of their estates, to their own unthriftines: we acknowledge that grace and godliness is the gift of God in Regeneration, not of their fathers in Generation; so that oftentimes the best of men, not only Ministers, but others, have most graceless children, & è contrà.  
2. Though true it be, that oftentimes this is the unhappy case of God's Ministers, and the oftener by reason of the Impropriators detaining the means, whereby they should both maintain themselves and educate their children; or otherwise by other wicked practices, suits, and contentions of malicious and factious spirits, whereby they are not only diverted from the duties of their callings, but from the care of their private families; yet it is not the universal case of all Ministers children, but God be blessed there are and have been in all ages happy successions of their children for diverse generations. But he cannot instance the like in the children of Impropriators, for they have universally failed in all places and ages.  
Lastly the wonderment in this particular is not because their children are unthrifts, but this, that their children being in show as great good husbands as their Forefathers, yet their estates by a third generation are utterly wasted and consumed, or their names wholly extinct; so that they are forced to confess for the justification of themselves the truth of that of Solomon, The holy thing left by their fathers, or gotten by themselves, hath privily eaten up both itself and all their other substance. I will conclude with the words of holy Hierome, spoken in the person of 
● comment. super Mal. 3  the Lord: Quia mihi non reddidistis decimas & primitias, idcirco in fame & penuria maledicti estis— & pro decimis & primitiis, qua parva erant si à vobis darentur, ubertatem possessionum vestrarum, & omnem fragum abundantiam perdidistis.  autem sciatis me hoc irascente perfectum, quia fraudàstis me parte meâ, horror vos atque commonco, ut inferatis decimas in horrea, hoc est, in Thesauros Temple, & habeant Sacerdotes, atque Levitae qui mihi ministrant, cibos; & probate me si non tantas pluvias effudero, ut cataracta coeli aperta esse credantur. Et effundam vobis benedictionem usque ad abundantiam.  
Because ye have not given me tithes and first fruits, therefore are ye cursed with want and hunger, and by reason of the defalcation of those dues (which had been but little, though truly paid) therefore your Harvest and Substance is blown upon. And that you may know, that I take special notice of such offences, I advise and warn you to bring all the tithes into the storehouses, that there may be meat in my house for the Priests and Levites, and then prove me if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing in such abundance, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.   
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
Pag. lin.     29 2 pro first quota lege fittest quota. 44 25  denied ●ithes  denied those tithes. 57 22  fleece the Clergy  slay the Clergy.