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THE

Clergy-Man's Pretence

O F

Divine Right to Tithes, Examined and Refuted.

BEING

A Full ANSWER to W. W's Fourth
Letter, in his Book, Intituled,

The Clergy's Legal Right to Tithes afferted.
To which he hath alfo annexed,
A fuftification of the Divine RIGHT,
Erroneously fo called.

By John Gratton.

In the New Law, neither Chrift, nor any of his Apoftles, took Tithes of the People, nor commanded the People to pay Tithes, neither to Priefts, nor to Deacons. William Thorp, in Fox's Acts and Monuments, Vol. I. p. 611.

LONDON,

Printed and Sold by T. Sowle, in WhiteHart-Court in Gracious-Street, 1703.

130.9.24

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TO THE

READER

10 2011

Friendly Reader,

M

Y Writing and Publishing of this Book, was briefly occafioned thus: A Friend of mine refufing to pay Tithes to the Priest of the Parifh, meerly upon the Account of his Faith and Confcience towards God; the Prieft wrote a Letter to him about it: The Friend, being a plain, honeft, laborious Man, not used much to writing, defired that either I or my Son fhould anfwer hime Whereupon I wrote a few Lines for him to the Prieft, and fent them to my Friend; which, after he had perus'd, and approv'd, he fent them to the Prieft. After which, he wrote again, and I anfwer'd that, and fent it to my Friend, and he to the Prieft; who wrote to me again, and I fent him an Answer to that alfo; but not expecting my Letters fhould have been put in print, I did not bestow that pains upon them to be fo full in every particular, or to clear up Matters fo A 2

plainly,

plainly, as I might have done. And he finding, as he apprehended, fome shortness in them, and as he might conclude, his own addapted fo well to his defign; he, unknown to me, and contrary to common Juftice, caufes them to be printed, with a Fourth Letter of his, and fends a Book to my Friend, who tranfmitted it to me: Unto which, this is an Answer; which I defire thee to read without Partiality or Prejudice, and in a Charitable Mind towards both fides.

It is cause of Grief and Sorrow of Heart to me,to fee so much of Self, and the Love of Money, which the Apoftle faid, was the root of all Evil, abound in this Age, and fo little of the Love of God appear; which the Apoftte fpeaking of, faith, It feeketh not its own, fuffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not it felf, is not puffed up; yea, faith he, It never fails: Prophecies fhall fail, Tongues fhall ceafe, Knowledge vanish away; but Faith, Hope and Love, abide; the greateft of which three, is Love; or, Charity, Cor. 13. And fays he, Follow after Charity, and defire Spiritual Gifts, but rather that you may prophecy: He that prophefieth, speaketh unto Men to Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort, 1 Cor. 14. 1,3. Where it is clear, that this Prophecying, here spoken of, was

preaching

preaching unto Men, in the Love of God, and as Minifters were enabled by Spiritual Gifts, in the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Spirit: As every Man hath received the Gift, even fo minifter the fame one to another, as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God, I Pet. 4. 10. And fo doing, the Body edifies it felf in Love, and dwells in Love, Faith, Hope, &c. And these three abide at this Day in the Body of Chrift: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, and all made to drink into one Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 13. and Faith works by Love, and gives Victory over the World; and standing in the Power of God, and not in the Wisdom of Man, it brings Men to Hope, and confide in the Lord, who hath in Mercy beftow'd his good Gifts upon them. And as he fpared not his own Son, but gave him freely for us all, fo fhall he also with him freely give us all things; fo that if we are Chrift's, we are God's; the Lord is our Portion, we fhall not want, nor need we fear what Man can do unto us. So on Him alone, who is God over all, his People depend; to Him do they look, and from him only they have their Expecta tion: And having an Eye to him, that is Invifible, and feeling his Love abide, they give up in Obedience to him; and when A 3

he

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