SEeing there is much Suite, variance and Contention between ma­ny Ministers in this Kingdome, and their Parishioners concerning the tenth part of corne and other edicimations which they claim as due by the name of Tythes, and whereas divers honest, suffici­ent, and understanding Parishioners have received certain papers or She­dules from the said Ministers, pretending to prove that Tithes are due unto them by Authority of Scripture: The Parishioners in the said se­verall Parishes have made this joynt Declaration of their Opinion con­cerning Tithes, and do prove them to be no wayes agreeable to the Word of God now in this time of the Gospell, and doe withall shew what are the grounds which do perswade them to detain them.

Our present Opinion concerning Tithes is the same now that it e­ver was, though we never did shew it by making any refusall of pay­ing them untill now, for we have ever said and held that they were or­dained by a Jewish Ceremoniall Leviticall Law, and that it ended, and ought to end and determine, as all other Leviticall Lawes did, at the end and determination of the Leviticall Priesthood, for whose main­tenance it was Ordained, which was at the coming of Christ in whom the Leviticall Priesthood with all other Leviticall Lawes, whereof that of Tythes was one did take an end, and surely had not that Law been then at an end it would have been in use among the Apostles and their successours as all other Morall Lawes were, but most certain it is that neither in the Apostles times nor in any of the succeeding ages in all the times of the Primitive Churches, that this Law for Tythes was ever in use, for the Apostles and their succeeding Ministers of the Gospell for neere about 300. years after Christ his Ascention lived of the free liberality of the people, never once taking, nor so much as demanding Tythes. But when superstition and heresie crept into the Church, the corrupted Ministry finding that the Christian liberality of the people [Page 2]failed as well as true Religion, then did they bring in Tythes againe by little and little, for to maintain their corrupted, and superstiti­ous Ministry, which otherwise would have wanted maintenance.

The Ministers know as well as our selves and much better, that O­rigen, Cyprian and Gregory, doe all witnesse that near three hundred yeares after Christ, Ʋrban Bishop of Rome, began to bring Tithes in­to use, for maintenance of his Clergie, untill which time there was a community of all things among Christians, as Turtullian witnesseth. But long after Bishop Ʋrbans time, at the Laterane Councell, Tithes were again condemned as Ceremoniall and utterly suppressed, as saith D. Carleton, and M. Roberts: afterwards in the more grosser times of Popery they did winde them in againe by little and little, by which afore-named Authors and many more, it plainely appeareth, that in the very declining times of the Gospell, nay even then when the true light of the Gospell began to be wholely obscured, there was yet much trouble and a great deale of stirre to bring this old Ceremoni­all Law into use againe, and much opposition there was then against it, and a long time it was before it could be brought to passe: We know you have read the Ecclesiasticall Histories, and do know much better then we can tell you, (had you but the conscience to acknow­ledge it) how and in what manner Tythes were brought into use in the Church by the Pope and his superstitious Adherents; for you know and cannot deny, how that untill the Pope and Popery grew up, there were no Tythes in use, no nor so much as once required, there­fore it is not as you say, that they were in use and were payed through­out all the times of the Gospell. The covetousnesse of the Clergy got them into use by blind folding the poore blind ignorant people, when they had brought in (as it were) a generall ignorance among the peo­ple, (and that they say is the mother of devotion) then they brought in Tythes and not before; for Tythes they could never bring in, untill they had first brought in a generall ignorance of the truth: the co­vetousnesse of the Clergy is it, and not conscience that moveth them to endeavour the continuance of them? for you all well know, that by the Law of the Gospell they are not to be, but that another form of maintenance is appoinned for the Ministry, in the roome thereof.

If you will needs have that Law of Tything to be a Morall Law, why then doe you not observe it in all the parts thereof? In the Le­viticall Law they had Priests and Levites, the Levites tooke the tenth [Page 3]of the peoples increase, and the Priests took the tenth of the Le­vites tenth part for their portion, Numb. 18.26, 27, 28, 29, 30. &c. If you will have a Leviticall maintenance, you must have a Leviti­call Priesthood, and no other; if the Leviticall Priesthood be re­moved, and another Priesthood come in place thereof, then are Tythes the maintenance thereof removed, and another maintenance come in roome thereof also. For how can the thing maintaining remaine any longer then the thing maintained doth remaine? and so much the Apostle doth set forth in that saying, Hebr. 7.12. if there be a change of the Priesthood, there must be also of necessity a change of the Law, that is of the Law for the maintenance of the Priesthood; if that Law of Tythes were a perpetuall Law, and to be observed and kept now in the time of the Gospell, then must the third years Tythe be given partly to the poore, for so the Lord commandeth, Deut. 14.28, 29. where the Lord saith, at the end of three yeares thou shalt bring forth all the Tythe of thy increase the same yeare, and shalt lay in up within thy gates, and the Levite and the Stranger, and the Fatherlesse and the Widdow shall come and eat, and be satisfied: The like is againe commanded, Deut. 26.1 [...]. from whence it is cleare, that every third yeare the Tythe ought to be said up by the payer thereof, and the most part thereof to be di­stributed to the poore, the Levite was to have but onely a share thereof: The same was the practice of Tobia, and the third yeares Tythe (saith he) I gave it to whom it was due, Tob. 1.6, 7, 8. and the same was the practice of all the Jewes (as by many Scriptures it may and doth appeare) untill the coming of Christ. And so i [...] must be now at this time, if that Law be still in force; but where is now that Parson that ever left this third years Tythe to the use of the poore? and yet by the same Law that he takes it the two yeares he is to leave it the third; if this Law be to be observed and kept in one part, it is to be observed and kept in another, for all the parts of it make but one Law. Again, by the same Law every seventh yeare the Land must rest, and not he plowed, tilled, or sowed, but that seventh year is to be a Sabboth of rest unto the Lord, Levit. 25.3, 4, 5. If this Law be a Morall Law and to endure for ever, why then is it so much altered, as now it is, from that it was at the first institution? if any man can hereof give us an an­swer by the Word of God, or by Morall reason either, we shall [Page 4]be of his opinion, otherwise we could wish him to be of ours.

By the Leviticall Law the people paid to the Priests and Levites first fruits, for whatsoever was first ripe in the Land was the Lords, so also was the first borne both of Man and Beast, The first borne of man and of unclean beasts was to be redeemed with money, Numb. 18. Now we demand why these same things are not now in use as well as Tythes, being that they were ordained by the same God, and by the same Law, and for the same end that Tythes were.

It is true that you alledge, that God gave a blessing upon the fulfilling of this Law, and pronounced a curse upon the neglecters thereof, Ezek. 44.30. Malachie 3.8. and Proverbes 3.9, 10. But those Blessings and Cursings are proper to the fulfilling and neg­lecting of the Leviticall Law as it was a Leviticall Law and not as a Morall Law. God did require as exact performance of all his Levi­ticall and Ceremoniall Lawes during the time of their continuance, as of the Morall Lawes, and did as severely punish all offenders, that did in any wayes offend against the Ceremoniall Lawes, as he did those that did offend against the Morall Law; And reason good, that whatsoever God did command though it were to indure but for a time, should be observed for that time it was to indure, as if it had been commanded and ordained to indure for ever, we see divers Lawes and Statutes have been made in this Kingdome, to indure and be in force for a time, as, untill the first Sessions of the next Parliament, as may be seen in the Book of Statutes at large, and for that time they were to indure, there was as exact obser­vance of them required, as if they had been made perpetuall, much more then of Gods Lawes made in the like nature.

And where you alledge that of Numb. 18.19. by a Statute for e­ver, to prove the Law of Tythes to be perpetuall, we answer to that; That those words for ever, do prove the Law of Tythes to be no more perpetuall or Morall, then the same words for ever in Deut. 18.5. Do prove the Priesthood of Levi to be a perpetuall Priesthood, for the Lord there saith of that Tribe of Levi and Priest­hood, The Lord thy God hath chosen him to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, both him and his sens for ever; The word ever, in ma­ny places more in these Leviticall Lawes is used to the same purpose but doth not prove the Law to which it is added to be perpetuall; [Page 5]So that by the same very Argument that you would prove Tythes to be perpetuall, we can as well prove the Leviticall Priesthood to be perpetuall, and all one, and we know you will deny that Priest­hood to be perpetuall, and so by consequence you must do that o­ther of Tythes. The word ever in that place and many other the like, can extend no further then the Lawes did, which was untill Christ came, who was the end of the Law, for all the Ceremoni­all and Leviticall Lawes and Ordinances that God made to the Jewes, were but shadowes and Types of what was to come; Now when the thing shadowed and Tipified is come, the Type and sha­dow must needs vanish away. And if the shadow or thing giving shadow be vanished, or taken away, then the supporter of the thing giving shadow, must needs be removed also. The Leviticall Priesthood was but a Type, a shadow of the true Priesthood that was to come, and if the true Priesthood be come, and the shadowing Priesthood taken away; Then must Tythes the supportment of that shadowing or tipicall Priesthood be also taken away, and a new Priesthood being come, a new maintenance must be had to support and maintain the same.

The Apostle saith 1. Cor. 9.13, 14. That they that preach the Go­spell must live of the Gospell; To them that a Minister preacheth the Gospell, of them must he be maintained. It is the desire of all Gods people, (and so it ought to be) that the Ministers of the Gospell should have a sufficient maintenance allowed them though not by way of Tythes, nay not only a sufficient maintenance, but an abun­dant, a large and rich maintenance, such a maintenance as they may live liberally without any other imployment but the Ministery, the work of the Ministery is the work of the whole man both of body and mind, and therefore ought to have no other imployment nei­ther of body or mind but only the study of the Gospell, and there­fore not sitting he should be troubled with gathering of Tythes. Neither is it sit or becomming Christians that their Minister should live in a mean condition either for dyet or cloathing, but as he is more excellent in calling, so ought he to have a more large and better maintenance in those respects then others, for he feeding the soules with spirituall things the Word of God, the people ought to feed his body liberally with their base Temporall things.

If Tythes were due to the Ministers of the Gospell by a Divine Right, by a perpetuall Law, why are they then taken away from [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 6]the Ministers by Impropriators? God that ordained this Law, we are sure never ordained Impropriations neither under the Law be­fore Christ, nor under the Gospell since Christ; should it be gran­ted that this Law of Tythes were a Morall Law, then it must be al­so granted, that it was ordained only for the maintenance of the Ministry, and not for Lay-men as now it is, by impropriations in too too many places. Had Tythes been ordained for maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospell, and to continue now in the time of the Gospell, surely they should never have been suffered to be impropriate to the use of Lay-men as now they are: This strange change is a very good Argument, to prove that Law to be now void and of no effect; It is well known that where Parsonages are impropriate, and nothing left fot the Ministers maintenance but the small Tythes (as they call them) that many able and worthy Ministers, who take great pains in their Ministry, and are of good life and conversation, and therefore deserve well, yet have so poor a maintenance from those small Tythes, that it is not in any waies sufficient to maintain them in any reasonable good sort according to the worthinesse of their calling and pains therein. Nay they have so little left them that they cannot cloath themselves in good and handsome apparell, but are inforced to go in poor and thredbare Coats in no way becomming the Ministers of the Gospell, and yet many of them are inforced and content to become Physitians, and some Schoole-masters, even to teach children in their A, B, C. there­by to enlarge their poor living and for a helpe to maintain them­selves their wives and children, which imployments must needs be a great hinderance to their study in Divinity, it being a work enough for the whole man without any other, and is it not a shame for a rich and flourishing Commonwealth to have a poor and bare Mini­stery either in the generall or in some particulars, and yet into such a condition Impropriations brought the Ministry of this Common­wealth in very many places.

The only strongest Argument and proofe you have, or can pro­duce for Tythes is from the example of Abraham, Genesis 14.20. Where Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the tenth or tythe of all the spoile which he had taken from the Kings; from whence you strive to prove that Tythes are by the Morall Law due to the Ministry, and not by a Ceremoniall or Leviticall Law, and therefore to be and con­tinue [Page 7]to the end of the world, and your reason is, and so you con­clude that whatsoever was ordained and in being before the in­stitution of the Leviticall and Ceremoniall Lawes were made, is not Leviticall but Morall and to indure for ever, as well under the Gospell as under the Law; But we cannot find nor you can­not prove that Tythes were ordained by that example of Abra­ham, Abraham was not commanded by God to pay the tenth to Melchisedeck, Melchisedeck met Abraham and blessed him, and then Abraham gave him the tenth of the spoile; it is no where to be found, nor any where said that Abraham paid the tenth, but that he gave it, nor is it to be found that God did command him to give, or pay the Tenth unto Melchisedeck or to any other at any time, no nor that Melchisedeck did require it of him, but it appeareth to be a free and voluntary act of Abraham. Neither can you find in any place that the Patri­arches before the Law, paid any Tenths or Tythes to any per­son untill the Leviticall Lawes were ordained, wherein God did expresly command them, and not before. Nor can we learn by that of the Apostle to the Hebrewes, Heb. 7. that they were ordained at that time of Abrahams giving the Tenth to Mel­chisedeck, nor at any time before or after, but only at the giving of the Leviticall Lawes, and therefore it may safely be conclu­ded they are of a Leviticall Ordination and so consequently a Leviticall Law, and therefore at an end.

Had Tythes been ordained before the Leviticall Law, there would have been without doubt some mention made of them in one place or other, for we find no Law ordained by God and observed by the people but some mention is made of the Ordination, commanding or appointing thereof by God in some place or other of the holy writ; But we find that the Apo­stle makes it plain that Tythes ended with the Leviticall Priest­hood, Heb. 7.12. for the Priesthood (saith he) being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the Law, that is as much as if he should say, the Priesthood being changed there is also a change of the maintenance of the Priesthood, and these words as it were a conclusion of what went before in the former verses, what else can he mean by these words, change of the Law, as well as of the Priesthood, but only of that Law which [Page 8]concerneth the maintenance of the Priesthood? And how can it otherwaies be, even by common Morall reason, but that the supporter, the maintenance must of necessity be removed, be taken away, when the thing supported and maintained is re­moved and taken away. There cannot be continued a Leviticall maintenance for the Priesthood, without continuing a Leviti­call Priesthood to be by it maintained. That reverend and most excellent Divine M. Calvin saith; They are more then fooles that draw any Jewish Law so far as unto us in this time of the Gospell, for as much as we know that all things then in use with the Jewes do cease by the coming of Christ, Lib. 3. Chap. 5. you compare the Ordination of the Sabboth and the Ordination of Tythes, affirming them both to be as one, and say that man may as well take away Gods time, his Sabboth, as his Tythes; But sure the Ordination of the Sabboth and Tythes was much diffe­rent; The Sabboth was ordained and commanded by God at the first beginning of the Creation, and after that again com­manded to Moses in the two Tables of the Morall Law, and re­newed again by Christ and his Apostles, and was ever since the first creation continued and kept both before Christ, and ever since, without any intermission, so was not Tythes; they were ordained and commanded long after the creation, with the o­ther Leviticall Lawes, they had no other beginning but Leviti­call, neither can they have any other end, there is not one word of command for them but only in the Leviticall Law.

You say, you wonder with what conscience men can detain their Tythes from their lawfull Parson: But I demand of you with what conscience can the Parson take Tythes of people, there being no such thing allowed in or by the Word of God? nay when the Word of God is plain against it, as is that Hebr. 7.12. from whence it is plain, that both the Priesthood and the maintenance of it, is changed: Again, if Tythes were lawfull, it is but the tenth part of the increase; but you take the tenth of the whole crop where there is no increase; nay where there is a decrease, as for example; a man laboureth all the year long, up­on his Land, he plowes it, again and again and dungs it, and sowes it, and weeds it, and at last reaps it, and when he hath [Page 9]done all this, his whole crop is not worth so much money, a [...] his labour and charges (to bring it to this maturity,) [...] [...]oun­teth unto; It many times happeneth that by reason of the bar­rennesse of Land, or unseasonablenesse of the time and season, that the crop of harvest is so mean and poor that it is not worth the cost and charges bestowed upon it by farre; As when a man hath bestowed upon a crop of Wheat, or other corne, forty pounds, and when harvest commeth, it is worth but thirty pounds, and sometimes but twenty pounds, here is ten pounds or twenty pounds decrease, yet the Parson takes away the tenth of that crop, as fully as if there were an increase; and so makes the poor Farmers losse greater then it would be, by so much as the Tythe is; If you took away but only the tenth part of the increase, according to the first institution, where there is an in­crease it were something tolerable, but you by this way you go in, take the tenth, where there is no increase; nay the tenth of all a mans labour, cost, charge and care, which is no lesse then the sixt part; If a man bestow forty pound on a crop of corn, and at harvest it be worth fifty pounds, then there is ten pounds in­crease, whereof the tenth part which is one pound, is the Mini­sters due, and no more if Tythes were now due, according to the first institution.

If the tenth of all increase belong to the Minister, why then is it, that men living in Towns and follow gainfull Trades pay no Tythes at all of their increase? it is most certain that some men that live in Towns and follow a Trade, as Drapers, Gros­sers, Chandlers, Tanners, Vintners, and many others, in one year, with lesse pains, cost, and care, do gain more then the Far­mer doth in all his life time, which doth most plainly appear by their continuall buying and purchasing of Farmers, Yeomans estates, even of such men as are honest, painfull, and industrious in their places and Countries, and yet these men pay no Tythes or Tenths at all, of all their great increase, except it be a Pig, a few Apples, or some such small thing.

Tythes indeed were established by Act of Parliament and have been so for many years, (but the first institution or acting of them was i [...] time of Popery.) So was the Common-Prayer-Book the [Page 10]Authority of Bishops, and other things else established by Act of Parliament, but they are by Act and Authority of Parlia­ment, happily removed and taken away again, and so may Tythes also.

These considerations (and not covetuousnesse, or any affecti­on to Independency) have moved us to this opinion, that Tithes were only Leviticall and ended with the Leviticall Priesthood, and thereupon to refuse the payment of them any longer, and if these considerations and many more, (which you if you please can call into remembrance,) may prevaile so far with you, as to convince your wills and opinions concerning Tythes, and move you and other Ministers, to joyn in one with their people, to seek and sue to the honourable Court of Parliament for a Refor­mation in this particular of Tythes, as is happily done in other particulars, and to establish instead thereof such a forme of main­tenance of Gods Ministers as is most agreeable to Gods Word, and the practise of the most pure primitive times; So should you become helpers of a through Reformation, and instruments of much good to Gods people; Which that you would be, is the earnest desire and prayer of your Parishioners.