Kingdom for one Respect or other, to demolish and root out the very Memory of this Tithe-Idol, which all other ReformedChristians have long fince abominated, that it concerns you to look out fome other Maintenance lefs fcandalous, and more Gospel-like.

BUT you'l fay perhaps, you have Maintenance allotted you by ORDINANCE OF PARLIAMENT. What an Ordinance of Parliament? I reverence Ordinances of Parliament, but, methinks, you should rather fly for Refuge to CHRIST's Ordinance. Ordinances of Parliament are repealable, what one Parliament beftows upon you, another Parliament may take away; but Chrift's Ordinances are like himself, unchangeable; whatever you may think of him, doubtless you cannot leave him for a better Master: Try then a little, compare the Ordinances together, look before you leap, if ye be Men: If Chriftians, confider which may prove the fureft, the better Title.

CHRIST ordained, that they which preach the Gofpel fhould live by the Gospel 1 Cor. ix. 14. that is, they fhould have fuch a Livelihood as is fet out, and warranted by the Gofpel, which is the free Benevolence and Bounty of their Brethren, and if you will have it in Chrift's own Words unto the true Difciples, That into whatsoever Houfe they enter, they should remain eating and drinking fuch Things as were fet before them. Luke x. 5, 7, 8. and having Food and Rayment, they should be therewith content. 1 Tim. vi. 8. On the other Side,

THE Lords and Commons in Parliament affembled, Die Veneris, 8 Novemb. 1644. ORDAIN, That every Perfon or Perfons, within the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales, shall pay all and fingular Tithes, Offerings, Oblations, Obventions, Rates for Tithes, and all other Duties commonly known

F 4

known by the Name of Tithes, unto the respective Owners, both Lay and Ecclefiaftical.

THIS is the Effect of Christ's Ordinance, with that of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, I fhall not feek to make Enmity betwixt them, and I hope every Reader, will, in Time, fee how far forth they will run parallel. What will you more then? Our Saviour, you fee, has by an Ordinance of Heaven, provided for you both Food and Raiment, requiring you, by his Apostle Paul, to be therewith content.

THUS much of the Epiftle to the WestminsterDivines (fo called) we fhall now give the Reader a few of this Author's Arguments against Tithes.

TITHES, as I have proved, were not due until the Ifraelites came into the Land of Canaan, and that unto a Tribe of Levi, for particular express Purposes, to wit, befides others, that they fhould give one Tenth thereof for an Heave-Offering unto the High-Prieft. Numb. xviii. 27, 28, 29. who was to facrifice in the Temple at Jerufalem; and the faid Tribe of Levi was to attend and do the Service of the Tabernacle, Numb. iii. 7, 8, and was only required to receive Tithes of their Brethren the Jews, the other eleven Tribes which came out of the Loins of Abraham, Heb. 7.9, 10. and neither they the faid Tribe of Levi, nor the High-Prieft, to have any other Portion or Inheritance befides the Tithes, Numb xviii. 20, 23, 24. from whence, among others, we may draw these few Obfervations.

1. ACCORDING to the Levitical Law, the Tithes of the Land of Canaan only were payable, and that in the Land of Canaan only, and from the Jews their Brethren only; but thefe pretended TitheMongers, lay Claim to the Tithes of all the

World,

World, from all Sorts of Nations, to be due unto themselves the Clergy.

2. THE Jewish Levites were a peculiar Tribe, upon whom the Tithes were entailed from one Generation to another; and by a Statute to endure for ever, they were to have no other Inheritance, Numb. xviii. 23. but were to rely upon the Lord, who promised to be their Portion: But thefe, who are no more of Levi his Kindred, than the Great Turk, alluring unto their Ways, not much unlike the Jefuits, or rather Romulus, fuch of all Nations who are fitteft for their Turns, by Tricks and Shifts, feducing whom they can, through a Pretence of fuperftitious Zeal, lay Claim, rob, and run away with the fifth Part of all their Neighbours Goods; wherein notwithstanding, they have fo little Truft, and lefs Confidence in God's Promife, which was to be a Portion unto the Ifraelitish Levites, in whom there was no Guile, that they lay up, hoard and purchafe, as if they knew their Pofterity were Baftards, and not to be provided for, neither by Tithes, nor God's Providence.

And,

3. WHEREAS the true Levites were to give for a Heave-Offering, unto the High-Prieft of the Family of Aaron, one Tenth of all their Tithes; our English Levites, fince their High-Prieft and Head, the Pope, was banished out of England, pretend to pay (when they cannot avoid it, for they are flow enough in Payments) unto the King, I know not what First-fruits inftead thereof; and indeed they made him fo far forth their HighPrieft to bear their Iniquities, that whatever they have of late been queftioned for, they caft upon his Back.

I know the common Scarecrow and Objection which is made against an unfettled Maintenance,

to wit,

to wit, that most Men are fo backward to all good Duties, especially in Matter of Expence, that if they be not both rated and compelled to pay, they will not pay at all, or not their Shares proportionably; And if there be not both a certain and a round Allowance, fuch as have hitherto apply'd themselves to ftudy for Service of the Church, will grow difcouraged, betake themfelves to other Callings, and by this Means the Gospel become contemptible, through Want of an able and learned Ministry: To this I answer, that it is evident by Experience, that such Ministers of the Congregational Way, as have good Parts, and are confcionable in their Callings, although they leave every one of their Congregation to contribute as God has enabled them, according to the Purpose of their own Hearts, not grudgingly, which was Paul's Rule, 2 Cor. ix. 5. I fay, that fuch have a Maintenance equal (if not exceeding) to what the Tithes produced in the Bishop's Times, or may do again hereafter, if they were to be continued. Secondly, for fuch as will not put themselves to study for the Churches Service, unJefs they be encouraged by Maintenance, I say, they are guilty of a Sin furpaffing Simony, a nameless Sin, a Sin fo infamous, as none were found in the Gospel-Time fo vile and desperate to commit it, and give Occafion unto a Law at once exprefly both to name it and condemn it: Simon Magus his Sin was not fo great as theirs, he would have bought the Gifts of the Holy Ghoft; thefe Men would fell them if they had them: Simon Magus thought fo well of the Holy Ghost, that he would have purchased it with Money, Acts viii. 18, 19. But thefe Sons of Covetoufnefs are fo bafely fordid, that they will not accept of it gratis, unless they may, at the fame Time, have a Grant,

Grant, a Monopoly, to impofe the counterfeit Gifts thereof upon the People, at an enhanced, overgrown, excifed Rate. Thirdly, Such Men do plainly by their Practice declare to all the World, that there is no Difference between the Calling of fuch Hackney Minifters, and the Calling of a Merchant, Cobler, or any Handicraftsman; but that it is indifferent, and all alike, free for every one to betake himself to which of them he pleases, and thinks will prove moft gainfome and beneficial to him: And lastly, if Tithes be the Clergies Due by Divine Right, as is determined by that great Cafuift of the Affembly, Dr. Burges, with fundry others of the fame Coat; then are all the LayMen of England highly guilty of Sacriledge, who withhold them by Impropriations: But if by a meer humane, a Parliamentary Law only, they lay Claim unto them, then may it the better be repealed, fince it fo much intrenches upon the Subjects Propriety in general, and upon the most tender Consciences of many in particular.

AND when they are admonished to labour with their Hands from Paul's Example, rather than be chargeable unto the People, i Theff. ii. 9. they anfwer, that though Paul did labour, yet it was of his own good Will and Curtefie, there was no Obligation for it, and feek to prove it by thofe Words of Paul, where he fays, 1 Cor. ix. 6. have not Paul and Barnabas a Power, as well as the other Apoftles, to forbear working? To which I reply, that Paul and Barnabas had the fame Power to forbear working, which the Brethren had to forbear giving them Maintenance : The one could not be compell'd to work, neither might the other be forced to fet Meat and Drink before them, or any others, much less, if they were Perfons addicted to Idleness.

BUT