A WORD OF COUNSEL OR A Warning to All Young-Convinced Friends, and Others whom it may concern; that are called forth to bear a Testimony for the LORD in the CASE of TITHE. Which may also serve for Answer to a late Pamphlet, entitled, The Lawfulness of Tithes, by W. J. as it concerns the Quakers Conscience in the Case; the Allegations thereof for the Divine Right of Tyths being sufficiently Confuted in divers Treatises, not taken notice of in the said Pamphlet.  
Nicholas Homwood.  Hebr. 7.12. 
For the Priesthood being Changed, there is made of Necessity a Change also of the Law.  Hebr. 8.1, 2. 
Now, of the Things which we have spoken, this is the Sum, We have an High Priest, who is set on the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens; a Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the True Tabernacle, which the Lord hath pitched, and not man.  
Printed in the Year 1675.   

A Word of Counsel: OR, A Warning to all Young-Convinced Friends, or Others, whom it may concern, that are called forth to bear a Testimony for the Lord in the Case of TITHES.  
DO not flee the Cross, lest thou miss of the Crown; and have a Care, that the Enemy and Adversary of thy Soul do not betray thee; he will attempt and present many things to thy View, to hinder thee from the Work thou art called to: Therefore stand upon thy Watch diligently, and resist him, and keep to that which makes manifest, which is Light, lest thou be Beguiled (as I was) by that subtle Serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan.  
When the Lord God, by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus, had made it manifest to me, That Tithe was not to be Paid; and that they that Paid Tithe, and they that Took Tithe, Denied Christ, as to the End of his Coming, who hath put an End to all Shadows whatsoever; for he is the Substance; and where the Substance Christ Jesus is truly witnessed, all Shadows flee away: So, there was Life and Death, Good and Evil, set before me; if I joined to that which was Good, Happiness would attend me; but if to that which was Evil, I should lose my Reward: And in these my Meditations the Enemy presents himself, and appears in this manner, Hath God set Good and Evil before thee? and hath he showed to thee, That they that pay Tithe therein Deny Christ to be Come? is it not said likewise, He that do●h not provide for his Family, is worse than an Infidel? And thou hast many Children, and a great Family to look after; if thou Deniest Tithe, thou wilt be cast into Prison; and what then will become of thy Children? they must suffer: This was the Voice of the Serpent to me; and I not standing in the Cross, but harkening to it, was beguiled and betrayed; for then the Consulting Part got up, and led me into many Reasonings and Questioning, and so lost my Condition, and fell under the Power of the Enemy, which deceived me, and I was deceived, and paid Tithe that Year; but I desire it may be a Warning to all whose Hearts the Lord hath opened in any measure concerning Tithe, and for their sakes is this given forth: Oh! do not consult with Flesh and Blood, neither let the Reasoning Part get up; but stand in the Cross, and keep to the first Motion, that openeth the thing to thee, lest the Enemy prevail, and so bring thee into terrible Bondage and Slavery, as he did me; for, in so doing, I did greatly increase the Anger of the Lord against me, and the Terrors of the Almighty took hold of me, which terribly shook the Earth, insomuch that when it was Morning, I longed for Night; and when Night hath come. I desired Morning; and the Fire of the Lord's Indignation was kindled within me; my Exercise was very great, and a Bitter Cup was my Portion, which was a Just Recompense of my Reward? And thus it was with me for many Months, and a sore and grievous Travel I went under for this my Disobedience; and in this my great Distress, I sought the Lord with many Tears; and desired, That he would not cut off my Life in this Condition; if he did, I should be of all men most Miserable: And in this my great Distress and bowed-down Condition, I begged of the Lord, That he would give me another Opportunity, and try me once more; promising, That I would give up all for the Truth's sake, and be Faithful to the Death, so that I might enjoy the Immortal Crown of Life: I waiting low in this Condition, in Meekness of Spirit, the Lord heard me, and had Compassion of his own, which then breathed after him, and gave me my Desire, that was, Another Opportunity, that I might bear my Testimony against that Ever to be denied Thing of Tithe: So the Time came, and I was freely given up, not looking out at any thing, though my Besetments were many, by that old Serpent, which at first drew my Mind out; but the Great God gave me Power, as my Eye was kept single to him, against all the Wiles of the Enemy, which were many, both Within and Without; the Presence of the Lord was daily with me, and his Powerful Arm did mightily uphold me, although he suffered the Enemy to try me, and cast me into Prison, where I have been this TEN YEARS; it seems to be but as a Little Time, by reason of that Endless Love and Life of God, which he hath manifested unto me in his Son, Christ Jesus; who hath Refreshed my Soul day by day, ever since that good Resolution was taken up by me, To give up all for the Truth's sake: Six Troubles hath the Lord delivered me out of, and in Seven he will not leave me, although my Exercises have been many, it hath been for the Trial of my Faith and Obedience to God: Happy was the Day that ever I was cast into Prison; I have no cause to Repent; Praises endless to the Lord God for evermore, saith my Soul; although the Adversary of my Soul presented heavy things to my View, What would become of my Children, if I were cast into Prison? as if there would have been a Want: But I have seen by the Light of Christ, That he was a Lying Serpent; for the Lord God hath (ever since that Day that my Face was turned Sion-wards). Blessed and Preserved me and mine, and hath given us all things necessary for a Comfortable Being in this Life: And therefore, None be discouraged, nor look out at any thing without; but give up all in true Obedience to the Lord; let not these Outward Perishing Things hinder Better Things to come: For, of a Truth God is with us who are faithful; and it is his Cause we stand for and suffer for, who will uphold and carry through to the End all those who are freely given up in this Matter against all their Opposers and Persecutors whatsoever: This is my Testimony, and this I am a Witness of in measure. Happy are all those who suffer for very Conscience and Christ's sake; they that Suffer for Christ's sake, shall assuredly Reign with him,  
Therefore, dear Friends, I leave it upon you all, who are any ways concerned in this Matter, That there be no Underhand, nor Double-dealing, in any measure; for that wounds the Life of those whose Testimony stands firm, and strengtheneth the Hands of the Enemy; and this I have felt, in some measure, since I have been a Prisoner, which constrains me thus to write: Therefore, be Careful for time to come, and ease me of my Burden, and bear a Faithful and public Testimony against that Spirit of Antichrist, which rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience: I say, Fall not under any thing which Dishonoureth the Lord God; and have a Care of Grieving his People; but be Valiant for the Truth upon Earth, and Great will be your Reward.  
But happily some may say, Mine is to an Impropriator, and therefore I cannot see so clearly to the End of it as to the Priest.  
My Friend, This was my State and Condition for some time; I paid to the Priest and Impropriator, and the Priest I could and did Deny some time before I could see clearly to the End of the other, by reason of the Veil that then covered my Heart, and darkened my Understanding, so that I could not see clearly to the End of those things which Christ had put an End unto; but as I waited low in the Light of Christ, the Son of God, the Veil was taken off, and then I saw clearly and perfectly, The One was to be Denied as well as the Other; and if I paid the Impropriator, I might as well pay the Priest; for the Ground is One in both; it is as really Tithe to the Impropriator, as to the Priest; and it was Tithe I could not Uphold, and great Cause I had for it, because in so doing I Denied the Lord of Life; and Christ saith, He that Denyeth me before Men, him will I Deny before my Father which is in Heaven: Therefore I advise all Friends, That they stand Clear in this Thing; for, Such as you sow, such must you reap. And this is my Testimony for the Lord God, They that Uphold any One, are guilty of Both.  


IT is my Faith, I do believe,  
That Tithe must wholly down,  
Because the Lord of Life is come,  
Who'll raze them to the Ground:  
Therefore let all stand clear in it;  
For long they cannot stand,  
The Cry of the Oppressed has been such  
The Time is near at hand.  
The Lord Regard hath to his Seed,  
Whose Breathe are so strong,  
That cry alone to him for Help,  
To ease them of their Wrong.  
So, none be Faithless in this Thing;  
For long they can't endure:  
The Time doth spend, and waste apace,  
Of which thou may'st be sure,  
That down they must, even to the Dust,  
Because their Time is ended:  
The Lord hath put an End to them;  
Let none therefore be offended.  
But as for us, who have suffered thus,  
In this we can Rejoice.  
That of all Families in the Earth,  
Of us the Lord made Choice,  
To stand as Witnesses for him,  
Who is our Lord and King;  
We cannot flee the Cross therein,  
But Praises to him sing,  
Who is our Strength and Stay and all,  
Our Helper he is still;  
And we are freely given up  
To be Subject to his Will.   
From the Kings-Bench Prison in the 9th Month, 1675. By One who is a Lover of the Truth, and made willing to Suffer for the same, and to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, Nicholas Homwood.