CONCLUSION, I. An Honourable Maintenance is due to the Ministers of the Gospel.

FOR, 1. Their Calling is Honou­rable. It was said of Samuel, He is a Man of God, He is an Honoura­ble Man, 1 Sam. 9.6. To with­hold from them a suitable Maintenance [Page 10] is to make both their Persons, and their Work Contemptible. The light of Nature teacheth men to reverence those that are set apart for the especial Service of God. The very Gentiles had a great Venerati­on for their Priests. The Poet could say, Quis homo est tanta Confidentia qui Sacer­dotem audeat violare. We find in the Scripture (as well as in other Writings) that the Heathen had an Honour for such men, and a great regard for their being Honourably Maintained, Gen. 47.22. Ezra 7.24.

2. The Lord appointed an Honourable Maintenance for His Ministers under the Old Testament. For besides the Tenths, the first fruits, and other offerings, Thir­teen Cities of Refuge with the Lands be­longing to them was theirs. Now altho' under the Gospel the matter out of which the Stipend of Ministers is to be raised, and the manner of Payment is not as un­der the Law; Nevertheless, we may from thence argue by way of Analogy; for so does the Apostle, 1 Cor. 9.13. Do you not [Page 11] know that they which Minister about holy things, live of the things of the Temple, & they which wait at the Altar, are parta­kers with the Altar.

3. In the New Testament the Truth before us is expressly asserted. Especially in that Ninth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, where the Apostle says, The Lord has ordained that they who Preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel, v. 14. This he had proved from the Divine Law which appointed, That they who Minister about Holy things, should live of the things of the Temple, as was shewed. And, from the Law of Nations, v. 7. Who goeth a Warfare at his own charges! Souldiers do not use to go to War without Pay from the State that employs them. Ministers are engaged in a Warfare, He that has listed them in His Service will have them Supported therein. The Apostle more­over proveth his Doctrine from the Law of Nature, v. 9. Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn. To do that is Cruelty and Unmerciful­ness, [Page 12] which the light of Nature condemns. ^(a) Now can any man suppose that God will make Laws to provide that bruit Beasts shall be rewarded for their Labour, and that he will not have the Labour of those that are His own Officers to be due­ly acknowledged? But besides this Chap­ter in which the Apostle does inlarge on this Subject, there are other Scriptures in the New Testament, which Command an Honourable Maintenance to be allow­ed to the Ministers of the Gospel. What is implyed in that Double Honour which they are worthy of? Not only Reve­rence, but an Honourable Maintenance is doubtless thereby intended, 1 Tim. 5.17. And when its required of them that they should be given to Hospitality, 1 Tim. 3.2. This is necessarily implied: for without a Liberal Maintenance it is impossible that they should be capable of much Hospi­tality.

4. There is in the Scripture an express [Page 13] Rule concerning this matter, shewing not only that the Ministers of the Gospel should be Maintained, but how this should be done; the Rule is that, Gal. 6.6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things. If not only some but every one that is taught should communicate to their Teachers, not only in Some, but in All good things, they would doubtless have a competent Maintenance; for (as the Bedgick Annotators have well observed) to communicate of All good things, is to communicate Liberally. Our Great Hook­er says, That this way of Maintenance is safe, and in the times of the Gospel most sui­table to the Mind of God, and that it will be sufficient, and abundantly satisfactory to answer the end for which it is given, and he knows no Iudicious and Pious Divine that is against it, unless it be such who are taken too much with a Tang of a Popish & Iewish way of Tything. Thus Mr. Hooker. By these things it is evident that the Main­tenance of Ministers is not Almes (as some [Page 14] would have it) but due Debt: They receive it not as an act of Charity but of Iustice. They have as much right to it as any Labourer has to his hire. There­fore when Christ sent forth his Disciples to Preach the Gospel, He said, The La­bourer is worthy of his hire, Luk. 10.7. So do they that Labour in the Word and Doctrine well deserve the Recompence given to them: They Work the Work of the Lord, as the Apostle said that he & Timothy did. The Scripture calls their Maintenance, not Almes but Reward, 1 Tim. 5.18. And, Wages, the Apostle tells the Corinthians, that he took Wages of other Churches, to do them Service, 2 Cor. 11.8. One of the Ancients observes, that when the Apostle saith to the Galatians (who doubtless were defective in their duty as to that matter) Let him that is taught communicate to him that teacheth; the Greek word is not [...], which signify to impart, but [...], which imports a kind of Com­merce, or Exchange of Spiritual things for Carnal, And whatever People may [Page 15] imagine, that the Wages which Ministers receive, is not comparable to what they give, if they are diligent and faithful in the discharge of the Work incumbent on them, 1 Cor. 9.11. If we have sown unto you Spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your Carnal things.

This Assertion is denied by few that call themselves Christians. Some of the first Reformers ( Bullinger and others) tell us that the Anabaptists in those days, said, The Ministers in the Reformed Churches were no true Ministers of Christ, because they took Wages for Preaching the Gospel. They pretended that Christ forbad His Disciples to receive any thing for their Labour, because He said to them, Freely ye have received, freely give, Mat. 10.8. But they misinterpreted, and a­bused the Words of our Saviour: Christ Himself was Maintained by His Follow­ers after He entred on His Publick Mini­stry, and so were the Apostles, Luk. 8.3. Phil. 4.10, 15, 16. When therefore the Lord said, freely give, He does not speak [Page 16] of Preaching the Gospel, but of healing the Sick, and casting out Devils, raising the Dead, and the like miraculous gifts. They might not take any reward for these, as the Prophet Elisha would not from Na­aman the Syrian. It was great wicked­ness in Simon Magus, when he thought to get Money by the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The dissembling Iesuits will not receive any Reward for their Sermons, pretending to observe that Precept Freely give: yet they say, If not a reward but Almes be gi­ven to their College, (and that comes into their Pockets) they will accept of it. ^(b) A Learned man relates a pleasant Story of one whose Name was Greg. Roseph, a Rector of a College, who when 500 Florens were offered to him as a reward for Sermons he had Preached in the City, replied, he went by that Rule, Freely you have received, freely give; but if they pleased to give Almes to his College, they [Page 17] might. And accordingly, every Year, 500. Crowns were brought there, as Almes for those that would have no Re­ward. The Relator says, the Jesuit was like a Lawyer of his acquaintance to whom a Merchant applied himself, complaining that he had a bad cause, but if the Lawyer would undertake to make his cause good, he would give him such a Sum of Money. The Lawyer ingaged to plead his cause, but scrupled to take the Money from him, only told him, there was such a near Re­lation of his to whom he might give what Money he pleased.

CONCLUSION, II. The Reformed Churches have many of them been faulty in this Matter.

THE Alienating of Lands devoted to a use Religious, or of other Deodands has been accounted a great Sin. The Gentiles were afraid to do it. Some bar­barous Heathen would not burn the Tem­ples [Page 18] of Christians which were set apart for the Worship of God. The taking a­way of Church Lands, and using them to purposes no way Religious, has by many been accounted Sacrilege. This was generally done at the first Reformation in Luther's time. And the Wisdom of Hea­ven appeared in making the Avarice and Ambition of great Men, an occasion of Reforming that Corruption in Doctrine by which the Papacy had defaced and ruined the true Church of Christ. Many of those Lands by which the wicked Clergy had been nourished in all manner of Luxury and Idleness, were not only taken from them, but ^† Alienated from all Pious Uses, and given to Profane Gen­tlemen; which made Calvin say, That they had taken the Purse from Iudas, and had given it to the Devil. Most true it is, that the Authors of many of those Dona­tions to the Church, were guilty of great Superstition in what they did; vainly i­magining [Page 19] to Merit thereby, and that the Ecclesiasticks would Pray their Souls out of Purgatory. Nevertheless, it may ^(c) be questioned, Whether that which has been devoted to the Service of God can without danger be wholly alienated. The Scripture says, It is a snare to the man that devoureth that which is holy, Prov. 20.25. Many of those who made Donations of Lands or gifts to the Church, did with grievous Execrations, imprecate whoever should convert what they had given to any Profane or Private use. ^(*) There have been severe decrees of Synods, and Laws of Christian Emperors, condemning the Alienation of what has been dedicated. Some Judicious Writers have thought that it was not without Mystery, that the Apostle writing to the Church of Rome, says, Thou that abhorrest Idols, dost thou commit Sacrilege? as if there were a Prophetical Reflection on those that [Page 20] would abhor the Idolatry of the Romish Church, and yet would themselves be guilty of great Sacrilege, Rom. 2.22. Mr. Mede thinks that this has been the chief Sin of the Reformation. And he observes that as Adam was turned out of Paradise for his Sacrilege, in laying his hands on that Tree which was Sacred to God: so many had been turned out of their Para­dises, ( viz. their fair Estates) for the same Sin. But to let that pass, What Re­formed Church can we mention, in which there has not been a defect as to Encou­ragement to the Gospel, and a due Sup­portment of the Preachers of it? It is true, That among the Reformed in France, their Discipline requires that ^(d) a yearly Pension be allowed to their Pastors, and that the Elders in every Church shall En­quire, Whether the Wages appointed for the Minister, is duely Paid to him: And that the Church in whose Service the Mi­nister does finish his dayes, shall take care [Page 21] of his Widow and Children. This not­withstanding, the Synods there have often Admonished the Churches, and threatned them with censure for their Ingratitude to their Teachers. As for the Church of England, their dignified Clergy-men have a Superfluous Maintenance, and some o­thers who have only Parsonages, enjoy that which is Competent and Honorable. Nevertheless, in many great Towns and Cities it is otherwise: Oftentimes some Gentleman has the Parsonage, and so the Tithes; when the Minister is but a Vicar with a scanty allowance. In Torrington a great Town in Devonshire, where I was a Preacher Forty-eight years agoe, the Vicaridge was but 40 l. per Annum, only the Civil State then, by an Augmentation made it to be 140 l. per Annum. The like was in Barnstaple, and in many other considerable Towns and Cities. Impro­priations, (that is ^(e) when Spiritual Li­vings are Possessed by Temporal men, for [Page 22] whom they are Improper) have a long time been complained of by many good men. There ^(f) are in England of Parish Churches, Nine Thousand two hundred and eighty four, endowed with Glebe & Tithe: but of these, three Thousand and eight hundred and forty five, are either appropriated to Bishops, Cathedrals and Colleges; or Impropriations. There was a Noble and truly Christian design set on foot by some Gentlemen in London, to re­deem those Lands, and that the profits of them should be for the Support of able Paeachers of the Gospel, as Lecturers; Twelve Persons were concerned as Fe­offees in Trust for the Management of this Affair, that so a constant Preaching Ministry might be Maintained in Places of greatest need. Of these Twelve, four were Divines, four Lawyers, four Citi­zens of London; Men of great Estates and of Eminent Piety. The four Divines were Dr. Sibs, Dr. Gouge, Mr. Offspring, and [Page 23] Mr. Davenport, then Minister in Coleman-Street, London, but afterwards in New-England. Money from well disposed Per­sons came in apace: And it is believed that if a check had not been given to it, there would in a little time been enough to redeem all those Impropriations, to the great advantage of the Evangelical Inter­est. But Satan was disturbed at it, and stirred up some Eminent Instruments to obstruct the Progress of it. A Bill was exhibited in the Exchequer-Chamber, by Noy the Atorney-General against the mentioned Feoffees. In conclusion the Court condemned their Proceedings as Dangerous to the Church, Pronouncing the Gifts, Feoffments, contrivances made to the uses aforesaid, to be illegal; and con­fiscated the Money obtained for this Pi­ous use, to the Kings use, which was King Charles I. The worthy Gentlemen who had concerned themselves in this good Work, were in danger of being proceeded with as Criminals. Our Mr. Davenport was not a little exercised in his Spirit [Page 24] about it. I find in a Bible of his now in my Possession, the following Words, Written with his own Hand. Feb. 11. 1632. ‘The business of the Feoffees being to be heard the third time, at the Exchequer, I Prayed earnestly that God would assist our Counsellers in opening the case, and be pleased to grant that they might get no advantage against any of us, to Punish us as evil doers; Promising to observe what Answer He gave: which seeing He has graciously done, and de­livered me from the thing I feared, I Re­cord to these ends. 1. To be more in­dustrious in my Family. 2. To check my unthankfulness. 3. To awaken my self to more Watchfulness for the time to come in remembrance of this Mercy, which I beseech the Lord to grant, on whose Faithfulness in His Covenant, I cast my self, to be made Faithful in my Covenant. I. Davenport.’ Thus was that holy Man, & the rest of them brought into no small perplexity for their being concerned in so Pious a design; notwith­standing [Page 25] their having the advice and concurrence of emiment Lawyers in their undertaking: such was the iniquity of those times. If the Reader would know, who was the chief author of this trouble, Dr. Fuller has informed him that it was Laud, the unhappy Bishop of London, and at last the Arch-bishop of Canterbury. I am the rather induced to believe that Dr. Fuller does not wrong Laud in his laying the frustration of this noble design at his door. For he had an abhorrence of a design which tended to encourage Puri­tan Preachers of the Gospel, although Con­formists: he persecuted Mr. Shepard, af­terwards of Cambridge in New-England, for his Preaching a Lecture, notwithstanding he was then a Conformist, not having searched into the Principles of the Non-conformists, until after that. I have by me a Manuscript of Mr. Shepards Written with his own hand, in which are these Words, ‘ Dec. 16. 1630. I was inhibited from Preaching in the Diocess of London, by Dr. Laud Bishop of that Diocess: As [Page 26] soon as I came in the Morning about 8. of the Clock, falling into a fit of Rage, he asked me what Degree I had taken in the University, I answered, I was a Master of Arts. He asked of what Col­lege: I answered of Emanuel. He ask­ed how long I had lived in his Diocess. I answered three years, and upwards. He asked who Maintained me all this while, charging me to deal plainly with him, adding withal, that he had been more Cheated and Equivocated with, by some of my Malignant Faction, than ever was man by Jesuit; at the speaking of which words, he looked as though blood would have gushed out of his Face, and did shake as if he had been haunted with an Ague fitt, to my apprehension, by rea­son of his extream Malice and secret Venome. I desired him to excuse me: he fell then to threaten me, and withal to bitter railing, calling me all to nought, saying, You Prating Coxcomb, do you think all the Learning is in your brain? He Pronounced his sentence thus, I charge [Page 27] you that you neither Preach, Read, Mar­ry, Bury, or Exercise any Ministerial Function in any part of my Diocess: for if you do, and I hear of it, I'le be upon your back, and follow you where ever you go, in any part of this Kingdom, & so everlastingly disinable you. I be­sought him not to deal so, in regard of a Poor Town, and here he stopt me in what I was going on to say: A Poor Town! You have made a Company of Seditious, Factious Bedlams, and what do you prate to me of a Poor Town! I prayed him to suffer me to Catechise in the Sabbath days in the Afternoon. He replyed, spare your breath, I'le have no such Fellows Prate in my Diocess. Get you gone, and now make your com­plaints to whom you will. So away I went; and blessed be God, that I may go to Him.’ Thus Mr. Shepard. Let the Reader Pardon this short Digression. I have mentioned these things to shew that even in England it self, which is said to excel other Reformed Churches in a [Page 28] Liberal Maintenance of the Ministry▪ there has not been that Encouragement to the Gospel, which ought to be. There are many Parishes in England, in which there is no Preaching, because there is not a Competent Maintenance for a Minister: See Mr. Stockton's Life, p. 193. And if I should speak of the Non-Conformists there at this day, very few of their Ministers have (altho' some have) an honourable Reward of their Labours. In Scotland the Tithes belong either to the King, or are Appropriated to Gentlemen, so that the Ministry there has but a small Portion out of them. In some parts of Germany, ^(g) especially in Saxony, not only other Secu­lars, but Military Officers are Maintained out of their Tithes, for which the pretence has been, That they who defend the Church, ought in reason to be supported out of the Ecclesiastical Revenues. Those Ministers who were the great Instruments of the Reformation there, had but a very [Page 29] small Stipend, not at all proportionable to their Worth, or to their Work. Luther sayes, That when he was a Papist, & saw what large Revenues belonged to Eccle­siastical Persons, he marvelled that the A­postle Paul insisted so much on the Main­tenance due to the Ministers of the Gospel▪ But after he was a Protestant, he did not wonder at it: For (says he) I saw that altho' Men would be very Liberal to Anti­christ, they would hardly give Christ a Pen­ny. Luther himself, the most eminent a­mong all the Ministers of the Reformati­on in Germany, notwithstanding his vast Labours, had but an inconsiderable Salary. At his Death he thus Expressed himself, I thank God for that He would have me live a Poor Indigent Person on the Earth. I have neither House, nor Land, nor Possessions, nor Money. After his Death, his Wife and three Sons were exposed to great wants, and neglected by those whom he had par­ticularly & highly obliged, which ingrati­tude has sometimes been mentioned to the great dishonor of Protestants: as on the o­ther [Page 30] hand, the Senate in Zurick are re­nowned for their Gratitude towards Peter Martyr, in taking care of his Posterity af­ter his Death. But to proceed, the City of Geneva has been famous for their Pro­fession of the Reformed Religion; but not for their Liberality towards the Preachers of the Gospel. When they first cast off Popery, they disposed of Ecclesiastical Goods into Secular hands, contrary to Calvin's Advice. That great Man had but a small Reward for all his Indefatigable Labouts; nor indeed was he willing to have more. It is reported, That a Gen­tleman travelling through Geneva, having heard much of Calvin, made him a visit, supposing because of his Great Fame in the World, he should have seen a Man with the Grandieur & Equipage of a Prince: but (says he) When I saw him, Ecce Pannosus Seuex; he saw another Iohn Baptist with a Coat of Camels hair, & a Leathern girdle. When Calvin was told that People belie­ved that he was very Rich, and could not but have great Sums of Money by him, [Page 31] he would smile at it, and say, If I cannot convince them of the contrary by my Life, I shall certainly convince them by my Will at my Death. In his Will he gave ten golden Scutes to the School, and as much to Poor Strangers, and the rest to his only Brother; his whole Estate con­sisting in his Library, and House-hold goods, not mounting to more than three hundred Crowns.

It must also be acknowledged, That in Poland some who passed under the Name of Waldenses, were faulty in this matter: their Nobles ^(*) (as P. Martyr reports) did insult over other Churches, pretending that they in Poland only had true Mini­sters of the Gospel among them, because their Ministers took no reward for their Labours. But the Bohemian-brethren en­deavoured to excuse this fault by the Po­verty of that People.

No People on the Earth have pretended to a greater Reformation in Religion, than [Page 32] have the Churches in New-England: But have not they been faulty in this matter also? Reverend Mr. Davenport has some­times said to me▪ That he had for a long time doubted that New-England was guil­ty of much Sin in respect of their Strait-handedness towards the Ministry; and he told me, That he knew my Father Cotton was of that Mind also, who would some­times say Pleasantly (as another has in­formed me) That there was nothing cheap in New-England besides Milk and Ministers. The first Ministers of the Gospel in this Colony, brought good Libraries, and con­siderable Estates with them from England, which is a sufficient Answer to that Ob­jection, How are the People in New-Eng­land, blame worthy for their Strait-hand­edness towards the Ministers of Christ; whenas they had such a Liberal Mainte­nance as to be able to give a Liberal Edu­cation to their Sons? It is true, that some of them have done so. My Father had four Sons brought up at the College, which if he had not had a Personal Estate of his [Page 33] own, he could not have done: For he had not more than an 100 l. Per Annum Sala­ry from his People in Dorchester, which (altho' it is a larger Stipend than what most Ministers in New-England have, yet) without other supplies, is not sufficient to support a Numerous Family, after an ho­norable manner. The like is to be said con­cerning the very Learned Mr. Chauncey; He was constrained to leave Scituate be­cause of his Family Straits. When enqui­red of, how it fared with him, his ans­wer was in these Words, Ut plurimun de­est Panis. What a shame is it, that so great a Man should be forced so to speak! And after he was President of the College, the Country was not so grateful to him as ought to have been. Nor could he have subsisted, if he had not received supplies from England, out of an Estate which he left there. I have often thought that Provi­dence has frowned on that Society as an effect of the Lords displeasure against this Colony, for their ingratitude towards that Eminent Man, who had deserved highly [Page 34] from the Churches here, on more accounts than one. But those Ministers who have had their Birth and Education in this Country, have not had such supplies as their Predecessors were advantaged with: Some of them have been forced to for­sake the House of God, and go into the Field, & spend that time there, which should have been spent in their Studies: And then their Congregations must needs be poorly fed on the Lords-Day. If People neglect to supply the Lamp with Oyl, they will (as Origen observes) have but a dim Light. Tenuitas beneficij parit ignorantem Sacerdotem ▪ is an old Saying & a true one. See Neh. 13.10, 11. The usual pretence for neglects of this Nature, has been the Poverty of the Country. But God will not be Mocked with a pretence of Pover­ty, Gal. 6.6, 7. For men to defraud God of His due, is the way to be Poor. We find in the Scripture that he has punished His People with scanty Harvests, because they did not take care duely to support His Worship among them, Hag. 1.9. It [Page 35] may be feared that it has been, in part, for this Sin, among other Evils, that we have sometimes been punished with very scanty Harvests. That famous Jew R. Solomon has this gloss on Numb. 5.10. He that does not duely pay his Tithes, in the end, his Land shall yield him but a Tithe of what it was went to yield▪ And does not the infallible Word of God assure us, That the with-holding more than is meet, tendeth to Poverty, Prov. 11.24. We have seen it remarkably verified in the matter now under consideration. There was a Town in New-England blessed with two Ministers both of them of eminent A­bilities and Piety. At a Town-Meeting it was debated what Recompence should be granted to their Pastor and Teacher for their Labours, in the Word & Doctrine; and it was Voted not to allow more than Thirty Pounds to each of them, for their Salary for one year, because the Town, they said, was so Poor, they could not do more than that did amount unto. And Behold! What followed: The Lord saw it, and was offended, and that very year [Page 36] after they had passed such a Sacrilegious Vote, God took from them by destroying their Cattle, as much as was valued at 300 l. They that were so Poor they could not allow a Minister of Christ above 30 l. for a years Labour, could loose 300 l. in one Specie, in one year. On the other hand, does not the Scripture say, Honour God with thy Substance, so shall thy barns be filled with Plenty, Prov. 3.9, 10. Particu­larly, as to what concerns the Ministers of God, the Lord Himself says, Mal. 3.8, 9, 10, 11. Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me: but ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tithes & Offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation. Bring ye all the Tithes into the Store-house, that there may be Meat in mine House, & prove me now therewith, saith the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open you the Windows of Heaven, & pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes: And he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; [Page 37] neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of Hosts. The Experience of the Lords Peo­ple has confirmed the Truth before us, 2 Chron. 31.10. Since the People began to bring the Offerings into the House of the Lord, We have had enough to Eat, and have left Plenty: for the Lord has blessed the People, and that which is left, is this great Store. Did men believe (and if they have a due regard to the Scripture, they cannot but believe) That Liberality is the way to Plenty; and that the contrary is the way to Poverty: they would be more open­handed. Moreover, That the Allegation of the Countrys Poverty, is but a pretend­ed reason for the Ingratitude which many are guilty of, is evident from this Consi­deration, Namely, That altho' Tithes are not due to the Ministers of the Gospel by any Divine Law, (as we shall under another Conclusion endeavour to Evince) Never­theless, That Proportion was never ^(h) [Page 38] thought to be an oppressive Maintenance, in the Nations where it has obtained; whenas it is evident that less than one half of the Tenths would in many Towns with us honourably support the Ministry among them. Are there not some Towns in New-England, in which the Inhabitants spend more at the Tavern, than they do to uphold the Publick Worship of God? That Estate which is consumed to nourish Pride, Sensuality, Luxury, would be more than sufficient to support the Gospel. How then can such People have the face to plead Poverty, as an Apology for their Sacrilege?

CONCLUSION, III. There is something due to GOD out of every Mans Estate, and the Tenth of his Incomes is the Least that may be supposed.

THat every man ought to consecrate a part of his Estate to pious Uses is indubitable. Against this also some pre­tend [Page 39] their Poverty; but are they poorer than the Widow, that had but two Mites, & yet cast them into the Lords Treasury? Nor do such consider, that this is the way to have more. For God will be in no man's debt; That which he has given, the Lord will pay him again. Such Ventures have a rich Return, Eccl. 11.1, 2. Cast thy bread on the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days: Give a portion to seven, & also to eight. There are few that will say that nothing is due to God out of their Estates: but about the Quota pars, or how much they ought to give, there are dis­putes. Some have thought that under the Gospel ⁽ⁱ⁾ a fifth part of a man's yearly income should be devoted to Christ, viz. 200 l. out of a Thousand, which is a fifth part; a double portion to the Levitical Tenth, Cant. 8.11. If they whom God has blessed with great Estates should do thus, they would honour God, and them­selves too. The Pious Lord Harrington, [Page 40] did not only give the Tenth of his In­comes to the Poor, but was other-ways bountiful in many Charities. Mr. Gouge relates concerning that Religious Gentle­woman, Mrs. Parthenia Lowman, that in the time of her Widowhood, She devoted above a fifth part of her yearly Rents to Charitable Uses. Dr. Walker reports con­cerning that Right honourable & religious Lady, the late Countess of Warwick, that She enquired of a Divine, What propor­tion one is obliged to consecrate to God out of his Estate? Who answered, That it was difficult, if not impossible, to fix a rule that should hold universally; for that the Families and circumstances of Persons must be considered: but that he suppo­sed, That if She gave a seventh part of her large Incomes, that would be sufficient. She replyed, That was not enough, and that She would not give less than a third part; which She religiously performed accordingly: That made some People say, That the Earl of Warwick, in giving his whole Estate to his Wife, (as by his Will he [Page 41] had done) he left all his Estate to pious Uses. The mentioning of this Noble ex­ample, is a Satyr on those who make a Will so Sacrilegious, as out of a great E­state not to devote one Peny to pious U­ses. What account will such Persons be able to give to God at the Day of Judg­ment, who would give Him nothing, that had given much to them! When we say that the Tenth of a man's Incomes are due to God, we do not intend thereby, That they are due to the Ministers of the Gos­pel; altho' what is given to them, as such, is given to God. But so also is what is laid out in purchasing Bibles, and other Good Books, designing thereby to promote the Interest of Religion in the World: and that which is expended in building Hou­ses for the Worship of God. And that which is given to the Lords Poor, Prov. 19.17. He that has pity on the Poor, lends to the Lord. The like is to be said con­cerning that which is devoted to Colleges, or Schools of Learning, in order to the upholding of Religion, which will be lost [Page 42] without good Literature. Well did Lu­ther say, ^(k) Si quid Scholasticis confers, Deo ipsi contulisti. Some Religiously dis­posed Persons have done great Service for Christ, by Maintaining Poor Scholars in the Universities, who have proved Eminent Instruments of Glory to God, and good to His Church. Now that at least, the Tenth of a mans yearly Incomes should be thus consecrated to the Lord, seems reasonable.

For,

1. The Argument insisted on by the profoundly Learned Mr. Ioseph Mede, de­serves consideration. He reasons thus, God deals very favourably with men if He requires only a Tenth, since that is the least part of our Goods, according to the first division. For as Ten is the Peri­odical number of a fixed and substantial nature; so when we proceed beyond Ten, we begin to make a new division, as e­leven is ten and one, twelve is ten & two, &c. Thus as the number of seven is the [Page 43] Periodical number of Time, God has been favourable to men in commanding only a Seventh part of Time, to be perpetually consecrated to His Service: So in accep­ting the Tenth of our Incomes. Ten be­ginning the greater number, and conclu­ding the smaller, has been esteemed pro­per for Him who is the first Cause, & the last end of all things. With a Seventh day He is acknowledged the Creator, and with a Tenth part, the Possessor of all things.

2. Before the Institution of the Cere­monial or Judicial Law, the Tenth was due to God. Abraham gave Tithe of all to Melchizedeck, Gen. 14.20. Which the Apostle takes special notice of four or five Times in one Chapter, viz. Heb. 7. Whence it has by Learned & Orthodox Divines, been concluded, That this Homage and Tribute is due to Christ. ^(l) There ne­ver was any Type of Christ, as a Priest, but he received Tithes, and that not in the [Page 44] right of any thing in himself, but meerly in the vertue of his Typical Office; so that originally they pertained to that principal Priest, whose Priest-hood is E­ternal. And we find that Iacob, long be­fore the Mosaical Law, Vowed unto God, saying, Of all that thou givest me, I will surely give the Tenth unto thee, Gen. 28.22. We read not, that the Patriarchs did this by vertue of any Positive Law: It seems then, that the light of Nature which taught them to chuse the Lord to be their God, directed them to consecrate a Tenth of their Estate to their God. Among the Jews at this day, many of the Richer sort usually give away a Tenth part of their Estate to charitable Uses. Yea, and of old, the Gentiles did so. Hence is that expression of Plautus; Ut decimam solve­ret Herculi: Pliny tells us, That the A­rabs consecrated the Tenth unto their god▪ Decima quaeque veteres dijs suis offerebant, says Festus. Many other Testimonies concerning this, are cited by Dr. Spencer, de Legib. Hebr. l. 3. c. 10. p. 615. and by [Page 45] that Learned Reformer, Iohn Wolphius, ^(m) who does from thence conclude, that the Law of Nature has taught men thus to practise. I conclude this Argument with Mr. Baxter's words, in his Discourse concerning what part of our Estate we should devote to pious Uses. I confess (says he, p. 97.) If we consider how De­cimation was used before the Law by Abra­ham and Iacob; and how commonly it was used among the Gentiles; and last of all by the Church of Christ, it will make a conside­rate man imagine, That as there is still a Divine direction for One Day in Seven, as a necessary proportion of Time to be ordina­rily consecrated to God, so that there is some­thing of a Divine Canon, or direction for the Tenth of our Revenues. Thus Mr. Baxter.

3. A remarkable Blessing has attended the Estates of some who have devoted the Tenth of their Incomes to pious Uses. [Page 46] Mr. Mede (before mentioned) when he was by a signal Providence chosen a Fel­low of Christs College in Cambridge, was so affected with that Mercy, as that he solemnly Vowed to lay aside every Tenth Shilling he should receive, and to dedicate it to pious Uses. ⁽ⁿ⁾ This he did religi­ously observe: And altho' his Salary was but small, such a blessing attended him, as that he not only Lived comfortably & honourably, but was able at his Death, besides Legacies to his Kindred, to give an 100 l. to the Poor, and 300 l. to the College, in which he dyed Fellow. Mr. Gataker speaks of an eminent Merchant and Citizen of London (Mr. Iohn Parker) who at his first Effectual Calling, among other things, then resolved by him, this was one, That he would set apart every year a Tenth of his gain for the relief of the Poor. For three or four years after his doing thus, he did not find that he thrived in his Estate, yet he was not dis­couraged [Page 47] thereby, but still gave Liberally and bountifully. And after some time, God abundantly blessed and increased his Temporal Estate, that he would often pro­fess, that he found those Promises to be true; which affirm, That he that Scatter­eth shall increase; and that whoever Lends to the Lord, shall be repayed. ^(o) Mr. Gouge speaks of one whom he knew, who finding little coming in by his Trade, re­solved upon two things. 1. To be more careful in Sanctifying the Lords Day. 2. To set apart the Tenth of his Incomes to Charitable Uses. Whereupon in a few years he gained so much, as that he gave over his Calling, & Lived upon his Rents. I shall mention one Instance more, and that shall be Mr. William Whately, one famous in his Time: he declared pri­vately to a Friend of his, that he laid aside every Tenth Shilling of his Receipts for pious Uses; upon which he found a won­derful blessing on his Temporal Estate. [Page 48] This Mr. Whately was Minister at Banbu­ry in Oxfordshire. The Minister is as much bound to devote the Tenth of his Incomes to pious Uses, as any one of his People. That excellent Man Mr. Thomas Gouge (who was translated to Heaven without any pain) reports concerning his Father Dr. Gouge, who was Pastor of the Congregation at Black-Friers in Lon­don, That from him he first heard that men of Estates, ought to dedicate a Tenth part of their yearly Incomes to pious Uses, and he sayes, that his Father did devote a Seventh part of his Incomes.

CONCLUSION, IV. Tithes are not by any Divine Law due to the Ministers of the Gospel.

THE Learned Selden in his discourse of the Civil Right of Tithes, has endeavoured to prove this. There has been a War in the Romish Church about this Question, between the Canonists, and [Page 49] the Scholasticks; the former hotly Main­taining, that Tithes are due to the Church Iure Divino; the latter, that they are due only by Ecclesiastical Constitution: so sayes Bellarmine, and other of their Learn­ed men. Yet some of their Theologues, a­gree with the Canonists: So does ^(p) Ba­ronius. He pretends that Melchisedeck was a Type of the Ministers of the Gos­pel; which is not true, he was a Type of Christ only. And that Abraham was a Type of all Laicks; and that therefore as Abraham paid Tithes to Melchizedeck, so should all Laicks to Ministers. It is strange that so Learned a man should ar­gue so weakly; but it must be imputed to the weakness of his cause. Among Protestant Writers, Prelates, and Prelati­cal men plead hard for the Divine right of Tithes as the Ministers due. Bishop Andrews, and Bishop Carleton, have said as much for it as any that I have seen. But most of our Reformed Divines maintain [Page 50] the Negative. So ^(q) P. Martyr, ^(r) Zan­chy, ^(s) Daneus, ^(t) Rivet ^(u) Voetius: And to this we adhere. For,

1. The Appropriating of Tithes to the Ministers of the Old Testament was a Forensic or Judicial Precept, as is rightly affirmed by Mr. ^(w) Calderwood (who passeth under the name of Didoclavius.) The Tenth was Gods due, and he was pleased by a Positive Law to appoint that what should otherwise have been given to Him, should be bestowed on those His Ministers. There was also under the Le­vitical Law a Tenth to be given to the poor every third year. We may not from thence conclude that under the Gospel it ought to be so. Among the Jews the first fruits were to be paid to their Ministers, we can­not from thence argue that the first fruits do by Divine right belong to the Ministers [Page 51] of the Gospel. The Argument is as strong for one as for the other.

2. Our famous New-England Hooker, observes that Gal. 6.6. is a clear Scripture against the way of Maintenance by Tithes. There is an Acumen in his reasonings. His ^(x) words are these. ‘I conclude, 1. That this way of raising Maintenance appoint­ed in the Gospel, is far differing from that way of Tithing in the Law; nay, to be tyed Precisely to follow the one cannot stand with the other: for this is raised out of all good things, the Person that is taught has: but the Tithes in the old Testament, were out of the Seed of the Land, the Fruit of the Trees, or of the Herd of the Flock, Lev. 27.30, 31, 32. Deut. 14.22, 23. 2. This Maintenance is to be paid by all that are taught. But the Levites were to receive the first Tenth, & to Pay the Tenth of the Tenth to the Priest, Neh. 10.38. So that if the Patrons of Tithing look at the command [Page 52] given to the Jew as a Moral Law, they must conform themselves precisely to the Prescript Form thereof. Ergo the Mi­nisters must have a Tenth of a Tenth, and from them happily who were never taught by them. As the Levites who taught in the particular Synagogues, paid to the Priests who administred at Jeru­salem. And hence it follows that the way of Tithing in the Old Testament was not a Natural or Moral Law. For no Law appointed in the Gospel is incon­sistent with any Natural or Moral Law of God, which this is.’ Thus Mr. Hooker.

3. Neither the Apostles nor yet the Primitive Doctors in the Church in the next Ages to them, did ever teach that the Tenth is due to the Ministers of the Gos­pel. Which if it had been a Moral Pre­cept they would certainly have done, and reproved the Churches for their not practising accordingly. Altho' in the Pri­mitive Times the Deacons did (as some Writers affirm: Zanchy. p. 407.) receive the Tenth for pious Uses, they did not [Page 53] appropriate them to their Teachers. It is evident from the Apologies of Iustin Martyr, and of Tertullian, and by ^(y) Cy­prian's Epistles, that the Churches in those days had a Publick Treasury, which did arise out of the Voluntary Contributions of Christians, out of which their Pastors were Maintained; and much was given to other Charitable Uses, which the Dea­cons disposed of, but always with the Ad­vice and Direction of their Pastors. Also, some Christians whom God had blessed with great Estates, did bequeath large Le­gacies to the Church: And Lands too, which yielded a considerable Revenue to some Churches, but were taken from them by Persecuting Emperors. Above all Churches, that in Rome was made rich, not only by Money, but by Lands devoted thereunto. Thus it was Anno. 225. Some say sooner. Of these things ^(z) Hospini­an, and many others have Written. At [Page 54] this day Christians who Live in the Turks Dominions are compelled to give the Fourth of all their Incomes to the Sultan. The Roman Emperors had the Tenth. ^† Nor were Tithes settled on Ecclesiasticks be­fore Constantine the Great: And then there was quickly a very unhappy effect of it. For the Tenth like the Tenth wave over­whelmed the Church with Superstition & Profanity, occasioned by the Grandeur, Ambition, and Luxury of the Clergy. Some Writers affirm, that when Constan­tine by an Edict gave the Tenth to Eccle­siasticks, a voice was heard in the Air, say­ing, Hodie venenum seminatum est in Eccle­siam. This gave ground to that com­plaint, Religion brought forth Riches, and the Daughter devoured the Mother. The Emperor Charles the Great, ordered that the Tithes should be distributed into four Portions; of which the Bishop was to have the first, other Clergy men or Scho­lasticks the second, the Poor the third [Page 55] part, and the fourth was assigned for the building & repairing Temples or Schools. ^(*) The Tenth in most Places will afford not only a sufficient, but a superfluous Maintenance. On which account those Ministers who plead for it all expose themselves to censure. The Renowned Dr. Owen sayes ^(a) That to imagine the Law of Maintenance is taken away, is the greatest folly, and against express Scripture; but he asserts, That there is a change as to the way of Maintenance under the Gospel, and pleads for Volunta­ry Contribution; judging that to be the most honourable, alledging, That Princes have been Maintained in that way. No man doubts, but that in the Primitive Times, ^† when there was no Christian Magistrates, the Preachers of the Gospel were Supported in that way. Tertullian ^(b) sayes, Nemo compellitur sed sponte [Page 56] confert. And if Christians were now so Liberally disposed as they ought to be, that way would be most Eligible. But men are not so forward to build the Church as the Lords People of Old were to build the Tabernacle, whose Liberality in Free­will Offerings was restrained by a Procla­mation, Exod. 36.5, 6. And there was a Time when Christians were so Profuse in their Donations to the Church, as that the Emperors were forced to give a stop thereunto. But in these days there is no need of a Statute of Mortmain, to prevent such things. Some indeed who excel in the Grace of Liberality, do not only ac­cording to, but beyond their ability; when others of great Estates, (as Moun­tains which have Gold in them are com­monly barren) do very little, it may be nothing at all. In too many Places in New-England, a great part of those who are taught, would communicate nothing to him that Teacheth them, were they not by the Civil Law compelled unto it. And in some Plantations, they have no [Page 57] Gospel among them, nor are ever like to have, if from their Hearers, the Preachers be Supported in no other way than that of Voluntary Contribution. They would find Luther's saying true, Duriter profecto et misere viverent Evangelij Ministri, si ex libera populi Contributione essent sustentandi. It is a doleful thing, that there should be Towns in New-England, able to Support the Preaching of the Gospel, and yet not one man found therein willing to give Entertainment to a Minister of Christ. Mr. Norton (that great Light, first of Ipswich, and afterwards of Boston) sayes, ^(c) Praestat Ministros vivere ex certis et Statis stipendijs quam ex mera Voluntaria Contributione: It is better that Ministers should be Maintained by Stated Stipends, than by meer Voluntary Contribution. He produceth weighty Reasons for the confirmation of this Thesis, & so did Zanchy ^(d) before him, whose Arguments Mr. [Page 58] Norton has improved. In Holland their Ministers are Maintained out of a Pub­lick Treasury, which the Political Ma­gistrate takes care of. The first Refor­ming Ministers in that Province, and in Zeland desired that it might be so; in which Voetius ^(e) sayes, they had Calvins Advice. Doubtless, if in our Country Towns all Publick Charges were put into one common Treasury, and the Mi­nistry Supported out of it, (as in one Town of late I hear it is so) that would be less invidious, and tend to Silence the clamours of ill affected Persons, who grumble at making a distinct Rate for the Minister. Where there are Christian Magistrates, it is certainly incumbent on them to see that the Gospel is duely en­couraged, and the Faithful Preachers of it honourably Maintained. I shall there­fore conclude with the last General Synod, of the Elders and Messengers of the Churches throughout this Colony, who [Page 59] met at Boston, in the year 1679. Whose words are these. ‘It is incumbent on the Magistrate to take care these Officers have due Encouragement, and Main­tenance afforded to them. It is high Injustice and Oppression, yea a Sin which Cryes in the Lord's Ears for judg­ment, when Wages is with-held from Faithful, & Diligent Labourers, Iam. 5.4. And if it be so as to those that Labour about Carnal things, much more as to those that Labour Day and Night about the Spiritual and Eternal Welfare of Souls, 1 Cor. 9.11, 13, 14. And the Scripture is express that not only Mem­bers of Churches, but all that are Taught in the Word, are bound to Communi­cate to him that Teacheth, and that in all good things, Gal. 6.6. Luk. 10.7. 1 Tim. 5.17, 18. If therefore People are unwilling to do what Justice and Rea­son calls for, the Magistrate is to see them doe their duty in this matter. Wherefore Magistrates, and that in Scriptures referring to the Dayes of the [Page 60] New-Testament, are said to be the Churches Nursing Fathers, Isa. 49.23. For that it concerns them to take care that the Churches be fed with the Bread and Water of Life. The Magistrate is to be the Keeper of both Tables; which as a Magistrate he cannot be, if he do not Promote the Interest of Religion, by all those Means which are of the Lord's appointment. And we find in Scripture, That when the Lord's Mini­sters have been forced to neglect the House of God, and go every one into the Field, (as too much of that has been among us) because the People did not allow them that Maintenance which was necessary; the Magistrate did look upon himself as concerned to effect a Reformation, Neh. 13.10, 11.’