The dreadfull danger of SACRILEDGE held forth in this one Proposition, namely
The with-holding of Tithes from a Minister that labours in the Word and Doctrine, or denying those accustomed rates upon houses, which have been paid to the Ministers successively time out of minde, is a great and grievous sin, highly displeasing to Almighty God, as appears by these Reasons.
1. Reas. BEcause it is a direct breach of the eighth Commandement, which saith, Thou shalt not steal; and directly contrary to the Rule of the Apostle, Rom. 13. 7. Render therefore to all their dues, Custome to whom Custome, &c.
Yea Tithes are due to the Minister by the Law of the Land, and the Minister ha's as legal a right to the Rates set upon houses, as the Landlord has to his Rent; Therefore to deprive the Minister of them, is a breach, not only of God's Law, but also of mans Law, and who so breaketh this hedge, a Serpent shall bite him, Eccles. 10. 8.
1. Object. But Tithes are Antichristian, and therefore not to be paid any longer.
Answer. This is a false opinion, as appears by this Argument: That which our Saviour enjoyned, is not Antichristian. But our Saviour enjoyned Tithes, Luke 11. 42. Ye tithe Mint and Rue, and all manner of Herbs, and passe over Iudgement and the Love of God, These ought ye to have done; that is, ye ought to pay Tithes, Therefore they are not Antichristian.
2 Object. But we do not come to hear him, why then should we pay him, since we have no benefit by his Ministery?
Answ. If thou live in a Parish where a godly Minister is seated, thou art bound to hear him, for he worketh the work of the Lord, as well as those of greater parts, See 1 Cor. 16. 10. If thou do not hear him, nor pay him, thou addest sin to sin; for, first it is a sin to withdraw thy presence, and then it is another, yea a greater sin to withdraw his maintenance.
3. Object. But the Minister will not give us our Due in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, therefore we may justly deny him his due.
Answ. 1. The Sacrament is not due to all, but only to those that come in a Regular way, according to the order of the Gospel; for all things must be done decently and in order, 1 Cor. 14. 40. Now the order of the Gospel is this, That the power of examining those that are admitted to the Lords Supper belongs not to the Minister alone, nor to the Minister with the whole Congregation, but to the Minister and Ruling Elders as is undeniably proved by that singular Treatise set forth by the Provincial Assembly, called The Vindication of the Presbyterian Government, pag. 70, 71. Secondly, the Sacrament is not due to those that live in any scandalous sin; But theft, or robbing of God is a scandalous sin.
2. Reas. It is a sin of a high nature, because it affronts God himself, Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? in Tithes and Offerings. To rob a man by the high-way, doth deserve death: To rob a King of his Plate and Jewels, deserves a tormenting death; but to rob the King of glory, deserves the fire of hell.
3. Reas. It is a complicated sin, wherein fraud or cheating is added to Theft: for the Landlord lets his house to the Tenant at a lower rate, upon this account, namely, that he shall pay the duties to the Minister; as fore example, If the house be worth 21. l. per annum, The Landlord lets it for 20. l. per annum, on purpose that the Tenant may pay (perhaps) twenty shillings a yeer to the Minister. The Tenant notwithstanding payes nothing, but keeps it back from the Minister by fraud, and puts the Landlords money in his own pocket. Here is fraud with a witnesse.
4. Reas. It is a sin, whereby godly Ministers are discouraged in their work, their hands weakened, and their spirits broken, so that they cannot go on in their Ministery with Joy, but with grief; This is directly contrary to the practise of that godly King Hezekiah, (whose example is written for our learning, Rom. 15. 4.) for it is testified of him, 2 Chron, 31. 4. That he commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem, to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord.
5. Reas. It is a sin, wherein and whereby the Defrauder robs his own soul of that spiritual benefit and advantage which he might get by such a mans Ministery; for it is just with God to say to such a man▪ Thou withdrawest maintenance from my servant, and I will withdraw my blessing from my own Ordinance, so that the Word preached (by whomsoever it be dispensed,) shall do thee no good at all, but rather it shall be a savour of death to thy own condemnation. Thy soul shall never thrive or prosper by any Sermon that thou hearest.
6. Reas. It is a sin that provokes God to curse a man in his outward estate and trading, as appears by that forenamed place, Mal. 3. 9. Ye are cursed with a Curse, for ye have robbed me; it is usual with God to pay sinners with their own coyn; They rob God in Tithes, and God robs them of their trade and livelihood; They grudge the Ministers a maintenance, and God grudgeth them even bread for their families, so that they usually turn bankrupts, or are so much in debt, that they are ashamed to shew their faces.
7. Reas. It is a sin against the Gospel, because it hinders the progresse and successe of it, for such men do as much as in them lies to extinguish the light, by taking away the oyle that feeds it. It is observed in that excellent book. Vindication Presb. Gov. pag. 81. that Iulian the Apostate, that cursed enemy of Christ and his Gospel, did by taking away Tithes do more mischief to the Church of God, then all the persecuting Emperours that were before him: for the Persecutors took away only the Ministers (and their blood was the seed of the Church) but taking away Tithes, took away the Ministery it self.
8. Reas. It is a sin that will not be pardoned upon repentance, unlesse there be a restitution as well as repentance, according to that of Augustine, Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum, Thy sin shall not be pardoned, unlesse that which thou with-holdest unjustly, be restored.
9. Reas. It is a sin that will cry for vengeance, when the sinner on his death-bed is crying for mercy; as appears by that remarkable Scripture, James 5. 3, 4. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were with fire; Ye have heaped treasure (that is, of wrath) together for the last dayes. Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth▪ and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. Now if the hire of the Labourers in mens Vineyard, kept back by fraud, crieth; How dreadfull will the cry be of the hire of Gods Labourers in Gods Vineyard, kept back by robbers and defrauders? I tremble to think of it.
Consider what hath been presented unto you in this paper, and the Lord give ye understanding in all things.