Com.4.OfMaintenance by Tythes due byDitiinèRight.Chap. i i 307 and that the Daywas altered by the Apaftles herein authorizedby Chrzjt; fo likewife I fay concerning Tythes, it is the moreprobable opinion, that God appointed this proportion for himfblffronthebezinning,that as by obfrving the Day,fe by paying the Tenthdl men might acknowledg God to be Creator and Lord of all, and whatfaever they enjoyn is his free gift, and therefore this precept not being given only to the 7ews and the reafn ofthe Command beingonoral andperpetual, and no abrogation ofit made by Chrilt or his A- poltles, but rather many things found in the new Te/lament, whichfeem to.conftrm it, isof forceftill, and obligeth allChri/tians under theGofpel ; wefind it not only prathifed before by the Patriarchs, but fame reliques(fit among the Heathen. The Greeks, Cart ans, andRomansgavethe Tenth to Apollo, toHercu les, to Jupiter, &c. The like Theo- phanus reports ofthe Egyptians, and Herodotus ofthe Perfians Plutarch ofothers,which praelice came nodoubt from theuniverfal Tradition derivedfrom the beginning,not nh(lly obliterated, though much 'corrupted ; as all divine Inftitutions, which werepsfit veand not meerlyflowingfrom the light ofnature, were among them. For as wasfaid beforeif theTime, fo. it may befaid ofthe Maintenancefor Gods worfhip, though natural reafon dillates, that a proportion muff he allowed, and that thisproportion of the Tenth is very congruous and reafinable; yet there can no neceffary reafon from meet naturalprinciplesbe given, why a Seventh part ofour Time, or a Tenth ofour Prate, and no other proportion fhould be limited : and thereforechafe that have laboured to urgeeither ofthem as aprecept ordillateofnature, have thereby wronged the caufe they undertook, and given occafion tofame to make all meerly arbitrary, when they find their reafons not tobe concluding; whereasboth may be jure divino pofitivo,andfo may bind asfirmly, as ifthey were jure naturali,Godspofitive law binding as well as the laws ofnature : befides thatthis pro- portion being once confecrated to God,as this bath been by all ChriftianChurchesand Ring- vide eanoné/tas doms, it isnot in the powerof any to take it away. The ftrff Law for Tytbes then was not in Tit. de decà given by Mofes ; for whereas Levit. 27. 30. it is faid, The Tenth of all is theLords, mie, mac, this is not, meant thatit camefo by a Law then made, but that it was the Lordt byan- rs decrü. Greg. cient Law and Cuftom long before, andfo refers tofame Law made at the beginning : yet Ç t fee hem then, it's true, Godtransferredhis right to the Tribe ofLtvi, on whom the PrieJtbood was scholaft.in Yno. conferred, andfe as to them the Lawofreceiving Tythes was new, and began then. And 2.2.q.86,et 87. that the Tenth io f ill due by Divine Rightbath been thejudgment ofthe Chriftian Church axime sua- inall ages, teftifiedinfeveral Councilsby their Canons andDecrees, and acknowledged áße R1¿b generally by the Fathers Canonilts, andmodern learnedDivines, andbyour ownEburch oap.g ro m inJpecial, whichin mattersofthis nature, as was raid before the Lords-day, ought to be cap. is aliqui- fuficient to foray thejudgment andfettle the confcience ofprivatepertns. Putyet withal btu,. finali dl ( as warfaid elfo of theday) though thepayment ofthe Tenth by Divine Right, in the decimos;,ubi general, fo that leftthan the value of a Tenth,ought not to be allowed, and that therefore nan(rmi. dr all Cullom: or humane Laws to thecontrary;are voidand unlawful ; yetfor the manner aill. CO l.c..1. r. fal.c. ry, inparticular oflything with the determining ofaAcircumftancesand queftions that may d, z. arife or are incident thereto ;. I doubt notbut the Laws of tbe_Chureb andplace where we live ought tobefollowed, and to them we ought inConfcience to conform, provided that lefs than the value-ofa Tenth be not paid; for that T conceive were contrary to divine Law, which,at Lind wood faith in this cafe,no cu/fomcanprefcribe againfi, and thereforetheprat/iceofour modernCommon Lawyers, allowing a modus decimandi, or Cuftome, whereany thing is paid in certain, though it be not the hundrdethpart of the value, irmo/t wickedandunjuft, and gontrary t5'aillaws bothDivineand Humane, even to their own common Law, which makesTithes to be jure divino, aiis acknowledged by Cook bimfelfin many places, and therefore theft pratlices have beenmaintained by them only fence the Alteration ofReligion, to ingratiate themfelveswith the people, and todraw the more caufes into their- Courts, and thereby the more many into their own purjees. Tbofe that wouldbefurther.fatisfted, may among Many others that have written of this Jubjetl,fee Sir Henr. Spelmans larger work of Tythes, wbièh is fufficient alone to refolve anyjudicious confeientiotu man in this matter. The fecond Cacred things is Oblations: That is, when any man freely and volunta- Ofoblations. rely dedicateth or offerethfomething to Godout ofhisown citate. The particulars r. Chro.a6.20 are letdown in Leviticus. Thus did Samuel, and Abner, and others. So did they A&s4. 35. in the timeof the Gofpel, that fold their eflates and laid them at the Apoltles feet, Q.9 z and
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