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to, for that's my Father's Gift; but the Law preferves my Right to me, in that which is fo given me by my Father, or by any Friend elfe, that gives me any outward Eftate he had a true Right and Title to; and if I pleafe I can difpofe of what is fo given, or that comes to me by Defcent, or that I buy of another that fells me his proper Right; and to fecure it to them, I make ufe of the Law, that those I give it or fell it to, may enjoy it quietly and peaceably; fo the Law preferves their Right, I gave them or fold them. But for all thy talk of Legal Right to Tithes, what Right haft thou either to fell or give the Tithes which thou calleft thine? So that the old Saying holds here, If the Parfon dies, where's the Parfon's Wife? Thou canst not give thy Tithes either to Wife or Child, nor fell thy Tithes, as I can my Temporal Eftate, to any Man I pleafe, and to his Heirs for ever, from me and mine.

But Tithes are due to God and Holy Church, faith the Law of our Fore-fathers, and Lawmakers, and no Man can difpofe of them, but while he lives and remains within her Pale, in fome Office, Service, or Place the approves of him in; and if the approves of him, then though he never was Holy, but lives and dies a miferable Sinner; yet the has given him Tithes, while he abides in that Place or Office; and, whether he be what he pretends or no, he may get them by Law: But

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if the Church finds him faulty, and turns him out of his Place or Office, he lofes all his Tithes; and if no Pay, then no Pater-Nofter. But Friend, the cafe is not fo with a Landlord, he may keep his proper Right, and have the Benefit of it to himfelf, and his Heirs for ever; fo that that Argument is weak and frivolous.

Secondly; That, that Law thou claimeft Tithes by, is contrary to the Law of Chrift, p.76. doth, I think, fufficiently appear; it being never made by Chrift and his Apoftles, but by the Pope and his Succeffors.

Thirdly, That Gofpel- Minifters ought to be content with Gospel-Maintenance, p. ibid. is likewife evident enough; and what that is,appears plainly alfo to be neceffary Food and Raiment, which, if they are in want, they may lawfully receive of thofe that reap Spiritual Things from the Sowers of them, which none can do, that have not Spiritual Things given them freely from Above, from the Giver of every Good and Perfect Gift; and then fent to minifter freely, according as they receive; and thofe that receive freely, are to give freely, on both fides, the Reapers, as well as the Sowers for the Labourer is worthy of bis Meat, and thou fay'st of his Hire, which I grant alfo : But then it's only from him the hires him, which I fuppofe my Friend T. S. never did thee, fince he knew the Lord's Appearance in bis Heart, by his Holy Spirit; nor will ever need, as he faithfully abides to follow the Leadings and

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Guidings of it; for that's that which I call'd The Witness of God in bis Confcience, and doth witnefs to the Children of God, that they are fo; and they that pretend to be the Children of God, and are not, it bears witness against them ; fo that every Man muft ftand or fall to his own meafure of it, as it doth teftifie in his Conscience, for or against him.

Fourthly, Thou feem'ft offended, that I faid in my Letter, Your Maintenance by Tithes is Popery, and telleft me, It is a foul Name; yet, I perceive, thou wilt not reject a fweet Morfel, becaufe of a foul Name: But I think I have made it fo evidently appear to be Popish, that there is no need to fay any more to that Point. But yet I defire thee to hear me patiently a few things: Thou compareft me to Dogs, lapping in the River Nile, in fear of being fnapt by the Crocodile; the plain Senfe whereof is, If I am the Dog, then thou art the Crocodile: And if fo, I cannot but tell thee, the Crocodile hath been accounted the proper Emblem of a Cruel Hypocrite; and truly if thou doft fnap me, I fee thou canst take pleasure in it, and thinkeft, after thou haft Lamed me, to Expcfe me to Derifion: But I fee not the Caufe I have espoused, hurt as yet, nor my Self foiled neither, nor do I fear it; and therefore fhall take a little more notice of fome of thy Paffages, though I value not at all thy Taunts, Jokes, and Empty Flourishes, void of Civility and Solid Arguments.

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And Fir For thy pretended Divine Right of Tithes, thou bringeft that of Levit.27.30. where it is faid, All the Tithe of the Land, whether of the Seed of the Land, or of the Fruit of the Tree, is the Lord's; it is Holy unto the Lord.

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But what is this to thee? For, is all the Seed of England, and are all the Fruits thereof Holy? That the Tenths, and all the Nine Parts, yea, the whole Earth, is the Lord's, I grant; but no more of it is thine, than he pleases to give thee for a little while. And why didst thou not obferve how he difpos'd of the Tenths of Canaan, both of Seed and Fruit? He gave them to the Levites and Chil dren of Ifrael, but no Part to thee, nor indeed to any Gospel Minifters, that thou can't prove, or all the Pope's Prelates to help thee. Bur, pray William, read the 34th Verfe of that Chapter, These are the Commandments, which the Lord commanded Mofes for the Children of Ifrael: Mark, not for thee, nor for the Ministers of the Gospel, nor for fuch as call themselves fo among the Gentiles; no, the Precept is bounded, fo that thou canst not prove any thing from it, to do thee Service. Therefore seeing the Tenths then and there were the Lord's, and given to the Levites; do not thou lay claim to any, till thou canst fhew as good a Title given thee of God to the Tenths here, both of Seed and Fruit, and then I'll confent thou shalt have them, but not till then. So here's fomething more I had to lay, though I omitted it before. Plata,

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Secondly, Thou telleft me, pag. 83. that Paul faith, Chrift received Tithes, referring me to Heb. 7.8, 13.

But thou thouldeft have better confidered with thy felf, before thou hadft done fo; for that Place compared with the Context, is plainly to be understood of Melchifedec; and fo Dr. Hammond, in his Paraphrafe upon the Text, interprets it. And it is cleared before, that Melchifedec gave as freely to Abraham, as he received of him.

Lo! here thou haft brought a place that throws down all thy pleading for Law; for Love here was the Law, and no Command of God for Tithing. But would't thou and thy Brethren come to this Practice, you would not opprefs poor Men, and force them, by Popish Laws, to unequal and unrighteous Payments, against their Wills, who are not fatisfied, that you are Priests of the most High God, or of Jefus Chrift; as Abraham knew that Melchifedec was, and Melchifedec knew that Abraham was alfo the Lord's approved faithful Servant... 1 20

Again, The Minifters of Chrift, to this day are not free to receive Relief from any, when they need, but only from the People of God, that give in Love freely, as Abraham did: So thy Argument drawn from this Inftance, is nothing worth.

But thou fay't, Chrift approved of the Pharifees, who were frict in Tithing even in the Smallest matters. p.83. And why should he

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