An essay concerning the divine right of tythes by the author of The snake in the grass.

SECT. XIV. Of what things Tythes are to be Paid.

1 Ans. OƲT of All your Gifts. Numb. xviij. 29. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Gal. vi. 6. Of All our Goods or Good things. Of All things that God gives us. Of All things wherein we Expect the Blessing of God. For All come under the same Reason, of Pay∣ing Tythe, as an Acknowledgment and Tribute to God for the Nine Parts which He has given to us: And to shew our Dependence and Trust in Him for All that we shall Receive. All the Tythe 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, Lev. xxvij. 30. Thou shalt truly Tythe All thy Increase of thy Seed, that the Field bringeth forth year by year. Deut. xiv. 22. The first-fruits of Corn, Wine, and Oyl, and Honey, and of all the Encrease of the Field, and the Tythe of All things. The Tythe of Oxen and

Sheep, and the Tythe of Holy things, which were Consecrated unto the Lord their God, 2 Chr. xxxi. 5, 6. Of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the Tenth unto Thee, Gen. xxviij. 22. Honour the Lord with thy Substance, and with the First-fruits of ALL thine In∣crease. So shall thy Barns be filled with Plenty, &c. This is the Reward God has Promis'd to it (if we Dare Trust Him.) And wherein soever we Expect God so to Bless us, of All those things we must Pay Him the Tenth; else have we no Title to this Promise. And this was the Notion of the Jews. I give Tythes of ALL that I possess, said the Pharisee, Luk. xviii. 12. And our Saviour Determines, Matth. xxiij. 23. that we ought to Pay Tythes even of Mint, Anise, and Cummin, i. e. of the smallest things.

This was the sense of All the Fa∣thers, in the Primitive Ages of the Church. They Excepted Nothing from Tythe, of which I have given some Instances, and many more are to be Produc'd.

II. We are moreover Bound to this by the Solemn Vows, Dedications, and

Laws of our Predecessors, Kings and Parliaments of England, before-men∣tioned. In the first Great Charter, or Act of Parliament of King Ethelwolf, which I have already Mentioned, and which Selden Recites (ut supra) p. 200. it is thus Vowed, Constituted, and Ordained, Ʋnde etiam cum Ob∣tejtatione Praecipimus, ut omnes stude∣ant, de omnibus quae Possident, Deci∣mas dare, quia speciale Domini Dei est. i. e. Wherefor we Command and Objure All to Pay the Tythe of All things that they Possess, because it is the Peculiar of the Lord God.

And thus it is in all the following Grants and Dedications of the Kings and Parliaments downwards.

Many of which are Recited by Mr. Selden. And some of them Descend to name All Particulars that well cou'd be thought of. As in the Laws of Edward the Confessor set down at large by Mr. Selden, c. 8. n. 13. p. 224, 225. which Names Tythe, de omni Annona, of All sorts of Provisions, Victuals, Wages, or any Income. Moreover of Colts, Calves, Cheese, Milk, Lambs, Fleeces, Pigs, Bees, Wood, Hay, Mills, Parks,

Warrens, Fishing, Orchards, Gar∣dens, & Negotiationibus, Trading, Merchandise, and all Business, & om∣nibus rebus quas dederit Dominus, of All things whatsoever that God gives us, Decima pars Ei redenda est, we must Give the Tenth to Him. Qui au∣tem Detinuerit, per Justitiam Episcopi, & Regis (si necesse fuerit) arguatur. Haec enim. B. Augustinus praedicavit, & concessa sunt a Rege, Baronibus & Po∣pulo. i. e. And if any Detain his Tythe, he is to be compelled to Pay them, by the Justice of the Bishop, and the King (if ther be need for it) for so St. Agustine did Preach: And this is Granted by the King, Lords, and Commons. It were Endless and Needless to Repeat All the Rest of the like Acts of Par∣liament, which are All of the like strain, and Import.

It is shewn before, that this was the Universal Notion of the Heathens in All Nations, That Tythe was to be pay'd of All things, of All Mer∣chandise and Trading, of All Manual Labour, and of All Spoils taken in War, as well as of All Estates Personal and Real, of every thing that God gives.

This was the Concurrent Notion of Heathens, Jews, and Christians, Till Popery, of Late, has Corrupted it; from whom we have Lickt it up.

Notes

• Prov. iij. 16.