A Gospel Plea for Maintenance of the Ministers, Chapter 2 (2 of 2)
1. We have David, a victorious Warrier, General, King, and (m)Act. 13.21. Neh. 12.24.man of God, after Gods own heart, dedicating the Treaſures & Spoyls he took from his enemies in Battels, to the Houſe and ſervice of God; thus more ſpecially recorded for his honour and others practice; 2 Sam. 8.11, 12. And Tol ſent Joram his Son to King David to ſalute him, and to bleſſe him, becauſe he had fought againſt Hadadezer and ſmitten him, and brought with him veſſels of Gold, and veſſels of Silver, and veſſels of Braſſe, which alſo King David did dedicate to the Lord, with the Silver and Gold that he had dedicate of all Nations which he ſubdued: Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philiſtines, and of Amalek, and OF THE SPOYLS OF HADADEZER Son of Rehob King of Zobah. Recorded again in 1 Chron. 18.2, to 12. with this addition. And David took the ſhields of gold which were on the Servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jeruſalem. Likewiſe from Tibhath and from Chun Cities of Hadadezer brought David very much braſs, wherewith Solomon made the Brazen ſea, and the pillars of the veſſels of Braſſe. What the value of the ſpoyls which he dedicated to God and his ſervice amounted to, himſelf records, 1 Chron: 22.14. Now behold in my trouble I have prepared for the houſe of the Lord an hundred thouſand Talents of Gold, and a thouſand Talents of Silver, and of Braſſe and Iron in aboundance without weight: Beſides what he dedicated out of his own proper eſtate, regiſtred in 1 Chron. 29.13, 14.
2. We have Joab (n)2 Sam 8.16. 1 Chron. 11.6.Davids Captain General, the Captains over Thouſands and Hundreds, and the Captains of the Army, dedicating out of the ſpoyls won in Battels to the ſervice of the Houſe of the Lord: (and that in a liberal proportion) even five thouſand Talents of gold, and ten thouſand drams; and of ſilver ten thouſand Talents, and of braſſe 18000 Talents, and one hundred thouſand Talents of Iron, beſides precious stones, all which they offered willingly with a perfect heart unto the Lord, rejoycing with great joy they had done it, 1 Chron. 29.6, 7, 8, 9. When our Generals, Officers, Collonels, Captains and Souldiers of the Army ſhall imitate King David and his Generals, Colonels, Captains, Officers, Souldiers in ſuch a liberal contribution of the Jewels, Gold, Silver, Braſſe, Iron and Spoyls they have won in Battels, at home and from other Nations, to repair or build houſes for Gods publick worſhip, and maintain the Miniſters of the Goſpel, in ſtead of ſeeking to demoliſh and ſpoyl thoſe ſtately Edifices which our pious Anceſtors have erected for that purpoſe, and breaking down the Carved work thereof with axes and hammers; of which David much complaineth, Pſal. 74.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. and in lieu of endevouring to deveſt our Miniſters of their remaining Lands, Tithes, Glebes not yet devoured; all the World will proclaim them, Men after Gods own heart, and Men of God in truth, like David, and give over cenſuring them for Sacrilegious Harpyes, as yet more like to Zeba and Zalmunna, who ſaid, Let us take to our ſelves the Houſes of God in poſſeſſion, (as David himſelf objects againſt them, Pſal. 83.11, 12.) than to David, or his Officers, Captains, Souldiers.
3. Here is Samuel the ſeer, doing the like, out of his ſpoyls won in Battel: A precedent for all thoſe Souldiers who will be Seers, Speakers, and New-lights, to imitate.
4. If theſe good mens examples be neglected, yet let the Precedents of bad men annexed to them ſhame and excite others to this duty: Here is Saul the ſon of Kiſh, much talked of and reviled now by many for a Tyrant, the very firſt King given to Gods people in anger, and taken from them in wrath, as theſe object, from Hoſ. 13.11. (which I conceive rather to be meant of Jeroboam the Idolatrous uſurper, who made Iſrael to ſin; as judicious Interpreters prove, by the 2 Chron. 13.20. compared with 2 Kings 17.10, to 24. and the context likewiſe, which makes mention of the Iſraelites Idolatry in kiſſing the Calves erected by Jeroboam; and ſpeaks only of the Kingdom of Iſrael, as divided from that of Juhah after Sauls, Davids, and Solomons death) yet he as bad as they make him, together with Abner (o)1 Sam. 14.50.his chief Captain (none of the beſt of men, as 1 Sam. 3.7, 8. diſcovers) had ſo much Piety, Zeal, Religion in them, as likewiſe to dedicate part of their richeſt ſpoyls of Warr to the maintenance of Gods houſe and worſhip. And will it not be a great diſhonour to thoſe Generals, Officers, Colonels, Captains, who now pretend themſelves the holieſt, juſteſt, zealouſeſt Saints, not to be as bountifull towards the maintenance of Gods houſe and worſhip, out of their ſpoyls, as Saul, or Abner, whom they brand for Tyrants and ungodly wicked men? If theſe Precedents be ineffectual to work upon any Covetous or Sacrilegious Sword-men, let them reflect upon others, who were Idolaters, how near they came, in their way, to imitate Abraham, David and theſe forecited Warriers. When Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had taken Jeruſalem, ranſacked and burnt the glorious Temple there, towards which David and his Captains contributed ſo largely out of their ſpoyls, he had ſo much Piety and natural Religion in him; as to dedicate all the Veſſels of Silver and Gold, which he took out of the houſe of God, to the honour and ſervice of his Idol-gods, and put them in the Temple at Babylon, in the Houſe of his GODS, not converting them to his private or publick Treaſury, 2 Chron. 36.7, 18. 2 King. 24.13. Ezra. 1.7. Which Veſſels afterwards being brought forth thence, and profanely carouſed in by Belſhazzar and his Princes, at his great feaſt, wherein he prayſed the gods of Gold, and Silver, of Braſſe, of Iron, of Wood, and of Stone; you may read what fatal judgement preſently befell him, to the loſſe of his life and Kingdome, Dan. 5. Theſe Veſſels though a juſt and lawfull ſpoyl won by wars, Cyrus King of Perſia brought forth out of the houſe of his Gods, where Nebuchadnezzar had put them, by the hand of Mithredah his Treaſurer, and numbred them unto Sheſhbazzar the Prince of Judah, when he proclaimed liberty, and gave order to the Iſraelites to rebuild the houſe of the Lord God of Iſrael in Jeruſalem; and this is the number of them, thirty Chargers of Gold, a thouſand Chargers of Silver, nine and twenty Knives, thirty Baſons of Gold, Silver Baſons of a ſecond ſort four hundred and ten, and other Veſſels a thouſand: all the Veſſels of Gold and Silver were five thouſand and four hundred: all theſe did Sheſhbazzar bring with him from Babylon to Jeruſalem for the uſe and ſervice of God in the Temple there: all theſe did Cyrus a Heathen King freely and chearfully reſtore, dedicate to God and his Temple by a Decree, Ezra 1.4. to the end. O when will our Army-Saints part with ſo many Gold and Silver Veſſels to Gods houſe out of their ſpoyls and plunders? This Decree was afterwards confirmed by King Darius and Artaxerxes his ſucceſſors, Ezra 1.4. ch 7.15, 16, 17. & 8.24, to 31. theſe Kings with their Princes and chief Officers alſo, freely offered, dedicated Silver and Gold, beſides theſe Veſſels, amounting to a great value, towards the re-edifying of the Temple, and maintenance of the worſhip, Prieſts of God therein. Moreover, King Artaxerxes made this Decree concerning theſe Veſſels; The Veſſels alſo that are given thee for the ſervice of the houſe of thy God, thoſe deliver thou before the God of Jeruſalem; and whatſoever more ſhall be needfull for the houſe of thy God beſtow it out of the Kings Treaſure-houſe : Adding this further Decree; To all the Treaſurers beyond the river; Whatſoever Ezra the Prieſt ſhall require of you, let it be done ſpeedily; unto an hundred Talents of Silver, and to an hundred meaſures of Wheat, and to an hundred bathes of Wine, and to an hundred bathes of Oyl, Salt without preſcribing meaſure: Whatſoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the houſe of the God of heaven; for why ſhould there be wrath againſt the Realme of the King and his Sons? Alſo we certifie you, that touching any of the Prieſts and Levites, Singers, Porters, Nethinims or Miniſters of this houſe of God it ſhall not be lawfull to impoſe Toll, Tribute or cuſtom upon them: and whoſoever will not do the Law of God and the Law of the King, let judgement be executed ſpeedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or unto baniſhment, or to confiſcation of goods, or to impriſonment; Ezra 7.11, to 27. The Decree of Cyrus and Darius, concerning the building of the Temple, and reſtitution of theſe Veſſels, is very remarkable, and thus recorded, Ezra 6.3, to 13. Let the houſe be builded, the place where they offered Sacrifices, and let the foundation thereof be ſtrongly laid, the height thereof threeſcore Cubits, and the breadth thereof threeſcore Cubits; with three rows of great ſtones, and a row of new Tamber; and let the expences be given out of the Kings houſe And alſo, let the Golden and Silver Veſſels of the houſe of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the Temple which is at Jeruſalem, and brought unto Babylon, he reſtored and brought again into the Temple which is at Jeruſalem, every one to his place, and place them in the houſe of God. Now therefore Tatnai governour beyond the river, Shetharboznai and your companions the Apharſachites which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: Let the work of the houſe of God alone, let the Governours and the Elders of the Jewes, build the houſe of God in his place. Moreover, I make a Decree, what ye ſhall do to the Elders of theſe Jewes, for the building of this houſe of God; that of the Kings goods even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expences be given unto theſe men, that they be not hindred. And that which they ſhall have need of both young Bullocks, and Rams, and Lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, Wheat, Salt, Wine, Oyl, according to the appointment of the Priests which are at Jeruſalem, let it be given from day to day without fail; that they may offer Sacrifices of ſweet ſavour unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the King and his Sons. Alſo I have made a Decree, that whoſoever ſhall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his houſe, and being ſet up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his houſe be made a dunghill for this. And the God that hath cauſed his name to dwell there, deſtroy all Kings and people that ſhall put to their Hand to alter and deſtroy the houſe of God, which is at Jeruſalem: I Darius have made a Decree, let it be done with ſpeed. If theſe three Heathen Kings and Conquerors were ſo zealous to reſtore all the Veſſels of Gold and Silver, taken by their predeceſſors in their wars, amounting to ſo great a number, value, to the Houſe of God at Jeruſalem; to contribute ſo liberally towards the re-edifying of it out of their own Tributes, Treaſures, Revenues won by War and Conqueſt; to allow them Bullocks, Rams, Lambs, Wheat, Wine, Oyl, Salt, and all other neceſſaries for daily Sacrifices; to furniſh the Prieſts and Levites with all Neceſſaries; yea particularly to exempt them and all the Officers of the Temple from paying any Toll, Tribute, Tax or Cuſtom, which it was not lawfull for any Officer to lay upon them, under the ſevereſt penalties, and to enact ſuch ſevere Lawes, to paſſe ſuch bitter imprecations againſt all ſuch as ſhould oppoſe or hinder the work, or ſeek to deſtroy or deface the Temple of God: Oh how ſhould this inflame all our Generals, Officers, Souldiers, who profeſſe themſelves the choyſeſt Chriſtians, and eminenteſt Saints, to imitate and equal them in all theſe particulars now? Elſehow will they ſhame, confound and riſe up in judgement at laſt againſt all ſuch of them and all other Plunderers who in ſtead of reſtoring all the Gold, Silver Veſſels, Lead, Iron, Timber, Stones, they have taken from the Temples of God, of repairing thoſe Churches they have demoliſhed, defaced, of providing neceſſaries for Gods worſhip, and exempting his Miniſters from Toll, Tribute, Taxes, Cuſtom, endevour to make a prey and ſpoyl of all our Churches, Chapels, Church-Veſſels, Ornaments, Glebes, yet remaining, and oppreſſe our Miniſters with endleſſe Taxes, Tributes impoſed on them without their conſents againſt all former Lawes, and Precedents to their utter ruine; and in ſtead of paying them the tenths of their own Lands and ſpoyls of War, endevour to ſpoyl them of thoſe Tithes which all others owe or pay them? Of whom Hemingius thus complains in his Commentary on Gal. 6.6. p. 375. Quid dicemus de illis, qui Miniſtros Evangelii neceſſario victu ſpoliant? Quid de illis qui Immoderatis Eractionibus tantum non eos interficiunt, ut multi honeſti mariti cum ſi is uxoribus et liberis cogantur quodammodo mendicare? Horam ſane factum nihil differre arbitror a Sacrilegio & Latrocinio, cujus poenas olim cluent Architecti et fabri hujus mali.
To theſe Scripture Precedents of Heathen Warriers, I might adde the practice of many Idolatrous Pagan Nations (as the Romans, Graecians, Crotonians, Phocians, Athenians, Carthaginians) who by the very Law, dictate of Nature, and example of Abraham, gave the tenth of their warlike ſpoils to their Idol-Gods and Prieſts; which becauſe Mr. Selden recites at large in his Hiſtory of Tithes, ch. 1.3. & Review, c. 1. 3. & Alexander ab Alexandro Gen Dierum, l. 3. c. 22. where all may peruſe them, I ſhall only give you the ſumm of them in learned Grotius his words, in his Book De jure Belli & Pacis, l. 3. c. 4. ſect: 1. p. 454. By this Law of Nature Abraham, out of the ſpoyls which he had taken from the five Kings, gave a Tenth to God, as the Divine Author to the Hebrews, c. 7.4. explains the History extant in Gen. 14. By which cuſtom the Grecians alſo, with the Carthaginians and Romans, Diis ſuis Decimam de Praeda ſacraverunt, conſecrated a Tenth of the prey, or ſpoyl, to their Gods, as to Apollo, Hercules, Iove. And ſhould not Chriſtian Generals, Officers, Captains, Souldiers then much more doe it now, to God and his Miniſters, from this Precedent of Father Abraham, inſtead of robbing them of their Tithes? If any ſhould object, that theſe were old Teſtament, and Heathen Practices; Let them remember, that Abrahams is more particularly related and frequently mentioned in the new Teſtament than old; the old relating in general, that he gave Tithes of all; (which relates to all his ſubſtance, as well as ſpoyls) and the new Teſtament applying this general to the TENTH OF THE SPOYLS, Heb. 7.4. as *Hiſtory of Tithes, & Survey thereof, ch. 1.3.Mr. Selden, Grotius, and others obſerve. But to hedge up this ſtarting-hole ſo as none may creep out of it; we have one memorable Precedent in the new Teſtament, coming very near to this of Abraham, Luke 7.2, to 11. Where we read of a certain Centurion (or Collonel) a man of no ſmall authority, who had Souldiers under him; and ſaid unto one Goe, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to his ſervant, Do this, and he doth it: This Centurions ſervant, who was dear unto him, being ſick and ready to die, when he heard of the fame of Jeſus, he ſent unto him the Elders of the Jews, beſeeching him that he would come and heal his Servant: and when they came to Jeſus they beſought him inſtantly, ſaying, That he was worthy for whom he ſhould do this: (And why ſo?) For he loveth our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue: Whereupon Jeſus went with them, and healed his ſervant; marvelling at the Centurions words, and turning about, and ſaying unto the people that followed him, I have not found ſo great Faith, no not in Iſrael. This great Centurion and Commander was no Jew, but a Gentile, one who but newly heard of Chriſts name and ſame; yet he had ſo much Piety and Bounty, as out of his very Spoyls and Gains of Warre (for we read of no other Lands or Gains he had) to build a Synagogue for Gods worſhip; which the Elders of the Jews, and Chriſt too, approved as a worthy act, and a ſufficient inducement for our Saviour to go with him and cure his ſervant. O that all our Centurions who have Souldiers under them, and exceed or equal him in command, would imitate and equal this Goſpel Centurion, in his pious munificence in building, in ſtead of contriving how to deface Temples, Churches, Synagogues, to aboliſh Tithes, ingroſſe Church Lands and Livings into their own hands; then ſhould they receive as large Encomiums of the reality and tranſcendency of their Faith, Piety, Charity from men, as he did from our Saviour, and the Elders of the Jews, for building this new Synagogue.
I ſhall only adde, for our Souldiers, Officers better Information; that from this example of Abraham, approved in the new Teſtament, both Divines, Councils, Canoniſts, and Caſuiſts, have unanimouſly reſolved, That Souldiers ought to pay perſonal Tithes to Ministers out of their very Militia, pay, and ſpoyls of Warr. This was *De Tempore Serm. 219. Tom. 9St. Augustines Doctrine, DE MILITIA, de negotio, de artificio redde Decimas: recited, practiſed, and long preſcribed here in England, in the excerptions of Egbert Archbiſhop of Yorke aSpelman. Concil. p. 268.about the year of our Lord, 750. repeated, confirmed by Gratian in his Decrees, Cauſa 16. qu. 1. f. 381, 382; By all the Canoniſts, Gloſſers on his Text: by Angelus de Clavaſio, in his Summa Angelica, Tit. Decima: by Hoſtienſis, Summa Roſella, and other Summiſts, Caſuiſts, in their Titles of Tithes, and ratifyed by the Synod of Lingon, An. 1404. apud Bochellum, Decret: Eccleſiae Gallicanae, lib. 6. Tit. 8. c. 31. p. 967. This many excellent Chriſtian Commanders, Officers, Souldiers have in ſeveral ages performed, as Hiſtories record. I ſhall (for brevity) inſtance but in one domeſtick example, and that a memorable one, King William the firſt (whom we uſually ſtyle the Conqueror, though he never claimed the Crown by Conqueſt, but bIngulphi Hiſt. p. 899, 900, 901. Will. Malmſb. de Geſtis Regum Angl. l. 2. p. 93. Hen. Huntindon Hiſt. l. 8 p. 307 Hoveden Annal. pars prior. p. 448, 449. & pars poſterior, p. 608, 609, 610. Verſtegan Reſtitutiō of decayed Antiquities, accord herein, and Mat. Weſtm. Ann. 1059. p. 426.only by the laſt Will, Testament and Donation of King Edward the Confeſſor in his life-time, with the aſſent of his Nobles (who was educated with, preſerved by him, during his exile and ſecluſion from the Crown by the Daniſh uſurpers) and as COUSIN and HEIR to Edward the Confeſſor, as he ſtiled himſelf in the very cSpelman. Concil p. 619.Title of his Laws: He having vanquiſhed and ſlain the perjured Ʋſurper Harold (who ſet the Crown upon his own head, and made himſelf King without any Title or due Election, againſt his ſolemn Oath to Duke William, made to him in Normandy, which he pretended to be forced;) in dMr. Cambdens Britannia, p. 317. Mr. Seldens notes to Eadmerus, p. 165. where the Charter is recorded: and moſt of our Hiſtorians in the life of K. William. Speeds Hiſtory, p. 451.thankfulneſſe to God for this his victory, whereby he gained poſſeſsion of the Crown; out of the Spoyls and Gains of his Warr, erected a Magnificent Church and Abbey, to the glory of God and St. Martin (which he called de Bello, or Battel Abbey) in that very place where Harold was ſlain, and this battel fought; which likewiſe he endowed with large poſſeſſions, Tithes and moſt ample Privileges by his Charter, and therein offered up to God HIS SWORD, and the royal robe which he ware the day of his Coronation, there reſerved as a Monument as well of his Piety as Victory.
After which this pretended Conqueror eHoveden Annalium pars poſterior p. 601.608. Mr Selden ad Eadmerum Notae, p. 171, 172, 173. Spelman. Concil. Tom. 1. p. 619. Ingulphi Hiſt. p. 914.in the fourth year of his reign by the Counſel of his Barons, through all the Counties of England cauſed 12. men of the moſt Noble, wiſe and skilfulleſt in the Law, to be ſummoned out of every ſhire, that he might learn their Laws and Cuſtoms from them; and gave them this Oath, That proceeding in a right path, without declining to the right hand or the left, to the beſt of their power, they ſhould make known to him the Cuſtoms and Sanctions of their Lawes, pretermitting nothing, adding nothing, and altering nothing in them by prevarication: which they accordingly performing; and King William intending to alter the Law only in one particular according to the Lawes of Norway, from whence he and his Normans deſcended; all the Barons and Grand Engliſh Enqueſt who preſented him their Laws on Oath, being much grieved at it, unanimouſly beſought him, that he would permit them to enjoy their proper Laws and antient Cuſtoms under which their Fathers lived, and themſelves had been born and educated, becauſe they deemed it very hard for them to receive unknown Lawes, and to judge of thoſe things they knew not, importunately beſeeching him for the ſoul of K. Edward (WHO HAD GRANTED TO HIM THE CROWN and KINGDOM AFTER HIS DEATH, and whoſe Lawes they were) that hee would not compell them to perſevere under the Lawes of any Foreiners, but their own Country Laws alone. Wherefore the King taking advice, conſented to the requeſt of his Barons, confirming all their Lawes and Cuſtoms in Parliament without any alteration or diminution, as they preſented them. Whereof this is the very firſt Law concerning the preſervation of the Churches rights, and Scholars from rapine.
fHoveden, ib. p. 601 Seldeni ad Eadmerum Notae, p. 173.Every Clergy-man, and likewiſe all Scholars, and all their Goods and Poſſeſſions, whereſoever they are, ſhall enjoy the Peace of God and of holy Church, free from all forfeiture, and ſeiſure; and if any ſhall lay hands on that which Mother Church ſhall require, LET HIM RESTORE THAT WHICH HEE SHALL TAKE AWAY, and likewiſe one hundred ſhillings in the name of a forfeiture, if it be from an Abbey, or Church of Religion; and twenty ſhillings if it be from a Mother Pariſh Church; and ten ſhillings if it be from a Chapel. After gHoveden ib. p. 601, 602. Spelman Concil. p. 619, 620. Lambardi Archaion.which follow 6. other Lawes concerning the Churches peace and privileges; and then theſe two Laws concerning TITHES.