according to the Cuftom of Particular Places. By this means, if he cou'd not hinder Tythes from being Jure Divino, he wou'd Curtail them in Quantity as much as he cou'd: And by bringing in the Dispute which things were Tythable, might open a Door to Un-Tythe every thing; at leaft, render it very Precarious.

But if the End of offering Tythes to God can be no other (as has been faid) than a Due Acknowledgment for the Paft Encrease which God has given to our Labours, in whatever Vocation; and to Implore the Continuance of His Blefling upon our After-Labours: This Reason must Reach to all things which we have Received from God, or expect to Re ceive from Him. Solomon determines it of All things. Prov. iij. 9. Honour the Lord with thy Subftance, and with the First-fruits of ALL thine Encrease. ALL Encreafe, of whatever fort. And the fame was the Notion of the Gentiles, even as confeffed by Mr. Selden. He tells us, c. 3. n. 1. That they Ty thed their Eftates, their Subftance. Ta's dias, which is every thing that

they

they had. N.3 All their Eftates. Which General Words Include all the Particulars that can be nam'd. And it is Impoffible to Name them All. Yet let us fee what Particulars Mr. Selden has occafionally nam'd in this fame Chapter. He names N. 1. the Tenth of Fruits, of Money gotten by Sales, and of Spoils of War. Of fuch things as made Acceffion to their Eftates. Of SeaMerchandize. N. 3. Of Mines, Merchandize, and all Goods Confifcate.

N. 4.

The Tenth of what the Cooks in Athens kill'd for Meat. N. 5. Of Frankincenfe. And lastly, the Instance he gives, N. 3. of that Conscientious Whore Rhodopis, who fent to Delphi as many Spits, for Use in Sacrifice, as the Tythe of that Gain which the made of her Body came to. This fhews the Notion they had of all Encrease paying Tythe. "And therefor Mr. Selden had no Cause to be fo unreasonably angry, as he was N. 2. with Paulus Diaconus, for that Saying which he has transmitted to us of Feftus's, viz. Decima Quæque Veteres Diis fuis offerebant. i. e. That the Antients did offer all forts of Tythes, or Tythes of

all

all forts of things, to their Gods. As to the Vindication of Paulus Diaconus, I Refer to the Learned Answers before mentioned, and 'what I have hereafter Quoted out of Dr. Spencer. But as to this Saying of Feftus, it is no more than what Mr. Selden has given Inftances of in this fame Chapter; and which, if he had confider'd, he wou'd have Refrain'd, at least, Conceal'd his violent Concern against that Authority of Feftus, for paying Tythe of All things, as to cry out, No fuch matter. Some did, and only fometimes, and of fome things, and most usually to Some Gods only. All of which Particulars have been confider'd already.

Let me only add, and close up this Head with an Authority out of Dr. Spencer, who Abus'd a great deal of Learning to justifie an Unhappy No ftrum of his own, viz. That the Inftitutions of the Law of God were - Deriv'd from the fame Customs Prior among the Gentiles. That ther were fuch Customs, as of Sacrifices, Tythes,

c. among the Gentiles Prior to the Law of Mofes, is Granted: But their Original was not from the Gentiles, G

(as

(

(as Dr. Spencer very grofly mistakes it.) The Gentiles had Retain'd, and withal Corrupted the Primitive Inftitutions of Sacrifices, of Tythes, &c. which were given by God to Adam, and the Patriarchs before the Flood. These were Reviv'd in the Law of Mofes, but not therefor borrow'd from the Gentiles, from whofe Cuftoms the Jews were commanded to Abftain.

But God wou'd not Forfake his own Inftitutions because the Gentiles did Retain them; though they Abufed them to the Worship of Falfe Gods. But to think that Sacrifices, which were ordained as Types of the Sacrifice of Christ, had their Original from the Gentiles; and that God, in Compliance with their Idolatry, did Inftitute Sacrifices under the Law; and gave Christ himself to be Sacrificed, (which fome, of Great Name, have lately Afferted, perhaps mifled by this wild Notion of Spencer's;) this is to overthrow the whole Foundation of our Religion, giving it no Higher a Rife than the Imaginations of wicked Men: And instead of the Devil's

Aping of God in his Inftitutions, this, by a Blafphemous Inverfion, makes God to Ape the Devil, and borrow from him the whole OEconomy of His Worship and Religion. But this is a Subject I have Treated of elfewhere; only thus much I thought neceffary, in this Place, because Dr. Spencer is not to be Quoted without a Caution, left we might feem to Approve his Errors, while we make ufe of his Learning. He has effectually Prov'd (though to the evil End before mentioned that Tythes were univerfally Pay'd among the Gentiles, even be fore the Law of Mofes; and vindicates the above Quotation out of Feftus.

That the Ancients did offer the Tythes of All to their Gods. i. e. All of them; of All things; to All their Gods; and Always, or in the ordinary Courfe of their Religion. And that R. Montacute had fufficiently vindicated this Teftimony of Feftus from the Cavils of Scaliger.

Fefti Teftimonium, Decima quæque Veteres, Diis fuis offerebant. His enim apertè Docet πάντας, πάντα, πᾶσι, TávTOTE Antiquos Omnes, eorum Omnia, Diis Omnibus, & Omnino, vel Ordi naria Religione Decimaffe. Huic Teftimonio tutius innita mur, quod R. Montacutius iltud à Scaligeri convitiis tam Docte vindicaverit, & fame fideiq, fua Priftina reftituerit. (Diatrib. cont. Seld.c.g.p.4123 413, c