Possibly it would be well to say of Selden who is generally quoted as
opposed to the tithe, that he himself says of his famous book, “It was
not written to prove that tithes are not due by the Law of God....
Neither is it anything else but itself, that is, a mere narration, and
the Historie of Tithes.” It comes out in the course of the narrative,
however, that he was contending for the voluntary tithe, just as
has been done in this discussion. He was suffering, as many others
like him have suffered, from the oppression of human enactment and
perversion in respect to that which God intended to be a gracious and
wholesome provision. Hence arises the odium which attaches to the word
tithe. But odium is not enough to excuse the retention of a principle
represented by a name. Like the name Christian which we bear, it can by
God’s help be made an honorable one. It was so perverted in the time
of the kings of Israel, as God had warned them it would be. Hezekiah,
however, restored its proper usage. The tithe was never intended for a
national tax to support the State. Its support was at first voluntary
as it seems (1 Sam. 10:27). It came to be a fixed tribute by the demand
of such kings as Rehoboam. It is to be remembered that odium, and
perversion, and the plea of heavy taxes, did not prevent Malachi from
accusing the whole Jewish nation of robbing God. The tithe is still
holy to Him and ought to be brought into His house and must, if large
blessings are to come.
The facts adduced lead inevitably to the main conclusions reached,
if I understand the principles of logical induction. This method
of induction is quite popular at present, when applied to certain
historical data. I am persuaded that if as much surplus ingenuity and
lauded scholarship were expended on these data as are expended on
other data to establish useless hypotheses, the Church of God would
be more edified and would become “liberal” in a manner more pleasing
to God. Strictness in doctrine and liberality in giving surely are
more compatible with divine teaching than liberality in doctrine and
stinginess in giving. Liberality has affected the wrong thing. The
slackening of doctrinal teaching has benefited nothing, but has brought
a flood of Rationalism, Infidelity, and Unbelief on the Church. Loosen
the purse strings and cherish “the faith once delivered to the saints”
as God gave it, and we have His word that the floods of evil shall be
driven back by the floods of heavenly blessings which He challenges us
to receive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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