The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-12-17

sufficient portion was reserved to take up tC
: the tabernacle, to be used as here prescribed
The only separate and distinct 1.-THE Of
which we can find any trace, land which may
be only special modification of the general
1.-THE law, is that of the third year, called
" the year of tithing' which was to be laid
up "within thy gates, not carried to the
tabernacle, and was not for their own use,
but for the Levite, the stranger, the father
less, and the widow; Deut. xiv: 2S, 20, and
XVI: II. Now all this vague generality
that encompasses the Mosaic tithe law, goes
far to establish our position that it was a
very different, and far more liberal enact
ment than modern 1.-THE advocates, whether
in the Protestant or RoInish Church, are dis
posed to admit.
There is a second circumstance, however,
which conclusively proves our position. 1t
is this: While providing stringent penalties
for statutory laws as death, scourging, fne,'
restitution With 9, -aftI. gsrt s1 1psrz6ded, &C..
there was none provided for the non.payment
of tithes, first fruits, &c. If man would re
deem any part of his tithes to apply it to COM
mon use, he forfeited fifth part additional.
If he would exchange the frstling of his
flock, that and the exchange thereof became
the Lords; but if he did neither the one nor
the other, if be withheld his tithes, first fruits
and frstlings altogether, the matter, for
aught that, from Genesis to Malachi appears
to the contrary, rested there. Then as now
the Lord retained the punishment of the
niggardly and the cOvetous in his own hand.
We search the whole Old Testament in vain
for any civil or ecclesiastical pains and pen
alties against the man who did not pay his
tithes. This looks like a marked gospel trait,
and distinct foreShadowing of the voluntary
system of the New Testament Church. God
prescribed the duty, and fixed its measure,
but prescribed no penalty for its non.per-
formanceI This completely relieved the Mo-
sale tithe law of its harshest legal feature;
and effectually guarded the Old Testament
Church against that accursed esnker of COW
etousness which has eaten out the Vitals of
the Roman Church. so effectually, that it is
never laid specially to their charge even in
the most degenerate days. The law makes
no provision for assessors of tithable pro-
perty, and appoints no collectors of ecclesi- i,
astical revenue. The Levites were receivers |
of tithes, but were armed with no authority !
either for valuation or collection. Each tithe
payer made his own valuation, and estimated !
his tithe accordingly: (thiS is plainly implied
in Deut. xiv: %, "Thou shalt truly tthe all
the increase of thy field" &c. and he was !
allowed generous use of part thereof, for
himself and family, when carried up to the
tabernacle. But if he Rnderestimated it |
there was no legal redress; and if he with
held the whole, there was no legal penalty
Romish law has made ample provision for all
these cases on which Moses is silent, while it
thunders accommodation against the delin
quent. And our good brother Miller in pro-
posing to make it term of communion
equally binding and disciplinable as Sabbath
clearly implies as much, and
iustifes the statement made above, that he
would impose legal yoke upon the Chris
tian Church far more oppressive and anti
evangelical than the Mosaic 1.-THE law. This
much in behalf of the Mosaic institution.
In the face, then, of all evidence to the
contrary, We are fully justified in assuming,
with reference to the Christian Church, that
ChriSt's precept with regard to aims giving,
(which has no such restricted and technical
as brother Miller would put upon
it, "when thou doest aims, let not thy left
hand know what thy right hand doeth, is
undoubtedly applicable to the case in hand;
shows the superiority of the system of free
Churches, sustained by weekly voluntary
as adopted by DR.. Robinson of
Louisville and many others, to any other in
vogue among US; and makes the most de-
fective system of voluntary contributions far
more agreeable to the will of the Master than
that now proposed. And we are fully JUS
tilted in assuming that the Apostolic rule for
"Upon the first day of the week,
mot +" on some one jewish Sabbath, " .. e.,
Saturday, as brother Miller would have it,
or as the sense of the original Greek plainly
is, "Upon every Lords day {" first day in
the week, y let every one of you lay by him
in store as God hath prospered him, where
of he only is Judge; with the apostolic rule
of assessment, Every man as he hath pur-
posed in his heart, so let him give, not grudg-
ingly or of necessity; for God loveth the
cheerful giVer;" are the only safe rules as
well for the ordinary as for the special col
lections of the Church.
We find where least we might have ex-
pected it, Gn CavalairO's work on. Romish
Canon Law the following luminous statement
which we commend to the readers attention
g Evangelical law does not appoint tithe, for
the support of the clergy . for which
cause Christians in the first centuries sup.
ported the ministers of the altar by volunta-
ry offerings. 1t appears that (afterward)
the ancient fathers regarded as moral the
Judaic precept about the payment of tithes,