THE

GREAT CASE

O F

TYTHES, 'c.

Of TYTHING amonft the JEW s.

G

OD having chofen Aaron and his Sons for the Office of the Priesthood, and the reft of the Tribe of Levi for the Service of the Tabernacle, he gave unto the Levites all the Tenth in Ifrael for an Inheritance for their Service, and they were to have no Inheritance among the Children of Ifrael.

AND the Levites out of their Tythe, were to offer up an Heave-Offering of it for the Lord,: even the tenth Part of the Tythe, and give it unto Aaron the Prieft for himself and his Sons; and no other Portion had the Priests out of the Tythes, but they were for the Levites that did the common Services of the Tabernacle, for the Strangers, for the Fatherlefs and the Widows.

BESIDES the tenth of the Tythe, the Priefts had the first ripe Fruits of the Ground, of Wheat, of Barley, of Figs, of Grapes, of O- Deut.18.4 lives, of Pomgranates and Dates, at what

B

Quantity

Quantity the Owner pleafed; a Heave-Offer ing alfo of Corn, Wine, Oyl, Fleece, and the Exc.45.13 like were given to the Priefts at the fixtieth Part, fometimes at the fiftieth or more, at the Devotion of the Owner.

OF Cattle alfo the Firft-born were the Lords, paid to the Priests, of clean Beasts in kind, of Exod.13.2 Unclean in Money, with a fifth Part added: Alfo divers Parts of the Sacrifices were appointed for the Priests.

BUT no Tythes did the Priests receive of the People; for thofe belonged to the Levites that were appointed over the Tabernacle, and the Inftruments thereof, to bear it, to take it down and fet it up, to ferve Aaron and his Sons, and to do the Services of the Tabernacle, and keep the Inftruments thereof; and their Service chiefly was upon removing of the Hoft; for better ordering whereof, and every ones Service, they were divided into three Parts, the Koathites, the Gershonites and the Merarites, and these received Tythes of the People, and out of them a tenth Part they delivered to the Priests.

AFTERWARDS, when Solomon had builded a Temple, and placed the Ark therein, other Offices were appointed for the Levites; one Part of them were to be Singers; another to be Porters, and take the Charge of the Gates of the Temple; another to be Keepers of the Treasury others of them alfo were placed abroad in the Country, on the Weft Side of Fordan one Thousand feven Hundred, and on the East Side two Thoufand feven Hundred.

By this Time also the Pofterity of Aaron being much increased, the Priefts were divided in to twenty four Ranks or Courses, according to

the

the Names of their Families, and every ones Attendance was required by Turns; and hereupon Zacharias is faid to be of the Courfe of Abiah, and to execute the Priests Office, and burn Incenfe as his Turn came, Luk. i. and the first of the first Rank had the Pre-eminence and was the High-Priest, and fo every one according to their Precedency were preferred.

THE Levites, that were Singers, were divided as the Priests into twenty four Ranks or Courses; the Porters into five Parts, one Part to every of the four Gates of the Temple, and the fifth to Afuppim, i. e. the Council-Houfe.

THE Treasury was generally committed to one, as the chief, but under him to two Sorts of other Officers; one to keep the Treasures of the Houfe of the Lord, and thofe Things that were offered to the Lord; and the other to keep the dedicate Things: In these Treasuries were put the fecond Tythes, the Offerings of all forts of People, which were for the Ufes and Services of the Temple, for the Fatherless, the Stranger and the Widow.

AFTER the Captivity, and new Dedication of the Temple, it appears, that in many particulars, their Laws, Ordinances and Customs, were very much changed, efpecially in this of Tything: But not being much pertinent to this Difcourfe, I fhall pass them over; only from these short Hints, let the Reader understand, that though the Priests and Levites were both of the Tribe of Levi, yet was the Priesthood fettled in the Sons of Aaron, and the Offices of the Priests were quite different from the Levites, and fo was their Maintenance diftinct, as before is herein plainly fhewed, B 2

THESE

H

THESE Priefts and Levites being feparated for the Work of the Lord, in the Tabernacle and in the Temple they miniftred according to the Ordinances of the firft Covenant, which were Figures for the Time then prefent, and Shadows of good Things to come.

A View of the Doctrines, Decrees and Practices of TYTHING, from the Infancy of the Chriftian Church until this Day.

UT in the Fulness of Time, God raised

BU

up another Priest, Chrift Jefus, who was not of the Tribe of Levi, nor confecrated after the Order of Aaron; for he pertained to another Tribe, of which no Man gave Attendance at the Altar, who (having obtained a more excellent Ministry, of a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not of the former Building, being the Sum and Substance of all the Patterns of Things under the first Covenant) put an End to the first Priesthood, with all its Shadows, Figures and carnal Ordinances, and changing the Priesthood, which had a Command to take Tythes of their Brethren, there was made of Neceffity alfo a Change of the Law, and a difannulling of the Commandment going before, which was but impofed until the Time of Reformation.

AND the Apostles and Ministers of Chrift Jefus, when he had finished his Office upon Earth, by offering up himself through the eternal Spirit, a Sacrifice without Spot unto God, did not look back to the Ordinances of the

former

fortner Priesthood, but teftified an End was put unto them; and witneffed against the Temple, wherein the Priests miniftred, for which Stephen was ftoned to death; against Circumcifion, faying, It was not that of the Flesh; against the Paffover, Priefts, &c. and preached up Chrift Jefus and his Doctrine, the new and living Way, which was not made manifeft while as the first Tabernacle was ftanding. Nor did they go about to establish the Law by which Tythes were given in the former Priesthood, but freely they preached the Gofpel which they had received, and did not require any fettled Maintenance, but lived of the free Offerings and Contributions of the Saints, who by their Ministry were turned to Christ Jesus.

AT Jerufalem and thereabouts, fuch was the Unity of Heart amongst the Saints in the Apoftles Time, that all Things were in common, Alts 4,3 4, and none wanted; and as many as were Poffeffors of Lands or Houses, fold them, and brought the Price and laid it down at the Apoftles Feet, and it was diftributed unto every Man according as he had Need.

*

So the Church gathered by Mark at Alexandria in Egypt, followed the fame Rule as the Saints did at Jerufalem, having all Things in common: And Philo Judæus a famous Author of that Time reporteth, that not only there, but in many other Provinces, the Chriftians lived together in Societies.

In the Churches at Antioch, the Saints poffeffed every Man his own Eftate; fo likewife Ads 11.29 B 3

in

* Hieron. in vità Marc.