Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Ye see then how they which come from Levi,¹ have no part of the land, they have only their meadows in the suburbs of their cities to sustain their cattle, but yet doth he assign them the Tithes of the whole country to find them withal, and he will not have them so bereft of their heritage: but that men should have a regard to maintain them. And why? Because he occupieth them in his service:§60 they must teach the people, they must offer the sacrifices, they must do that which was appointed in the temple: For this cause God will have men to have a care to sustain them. And herewithall, when they made the second tithing, thereby they were done to understand, that somewhat was to be taken as it were from their portion to give unto the poor: whereby they were put in mind that they ought not to glut themselves with the offerings no nor yet to enrich themselves with them. And why? For they were the goods of the poor. Ye see then whereunto God had an eye, when he appointed the secondty thing which was made every third year. It behoved the priests and Levites to acknowledge and say: Well, Truly we have enough, yea, and more than enough to sustain us. And to what end hath God given us this plenty? Is it that we should make money of it, and hoard it up in our coffers? Is it that the people should be diminished, and we increased? No: but he pointeth to us with his finger, & telleth us that they be the goods of the poor, and that the poor must have a portion out of it to sustain them withal, and that such as are in need and necessity must be relieved by that means. Thus ye see in effect what is contained in this place.

Ye see then how they which come from Leui,¹ haue no parte of the land, they haue onely their medowes in the suburbes of their cities to sustaine their cattaile, but yet doth he assigne them the Tythes of the whole countrie to finde them withall, and he will not haue them so bereft of their heritage: but that men should haue a regarde to maintaine them. And why? Because he occupyeth them in his seruice:§60 they must teach the people, they must offer the sacrifices, they must doe that which was appointed in the temple: For this cause God will haue men to haue a care to sustaine them. And herewithall, when they made the second tything, thereby they were done to vnderstand, yt somewhat was to be taken as it were from their portion to giue vnto the poore: whereby they were put in minde that they ought not to glut themselues with the offeringes no nor yet to enrich themselues with them. And why? For they were the goods of the poore. Yee see then whereunto God had an eye, when he appointed the secondty thing which was made euery third yere. It behoued the priestes and Leuites to acknowledge and say: Well, Truely we haue enough, yea, and more than enough to susteine vs. And to what end hath God giuen vs this plentie? Is it that we shoulde make monie of it, and hoorde it vppe in our cofers? Is it that the people should be diminished, and we increased? No: but he poynteth to vs with his finger, & telleth vs that they bee the goods of the poore, and that the poore must haue a portion out of it to susteine them withall, and that such as are in neede and necessitie must be relieued by that meanes. Thus ye see in effect what is contayned in this place.