Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

28. Another thing that helped me was, my not meddling with Tithes or Worldly Business; whereby I had my whole time (except what Sickness deprived me of) for my Duty, and my Mind more free from Entanglements than else it would have been; and also I escaped the offending of the People, and contending by any Law Suits with them. And I found also that Nature it self being Conscious of the Baseness of its Earthly Disposition, doth think basely of those whom it discerneth to be Earthly; and is forced to Reverence those whose Converse is supposed to be most with God and Heaven. Three or Four of my Neighbours managed all those kind of Businesses, of whom I never took Account; and if any one denied to pay their Tithes, if they were poor I ordered them to forgive it them; After that I was constrained to let the Tithes be gathered, as by my Title, to save the Gatherers from Law-Suits. But if they were able, I ordered them to seek it by the Magistrate, with the Damage, and give both my Part and the Damages to the Poor (for I resolved to have none of it my self that was recovered by Law, and yet I could not tolerate the Sacrilege and Fraud of covetous Men). But when they knew that this was the Rule I went by, none of them would do the Poor so great a Kindness as to deny the Payment of their Tithes, that were able. And in my Family I had the Help of my Father and Mother in Law, and the Benefit of a godly, understanding, faithful Servant (an ancient Woman near Sixty Years old) who eased me of all Care, and laid out all my Money for Housekeeping, so that I never had one Hour's trouble about it, nor ever took one Day's Account of her for Fourteen Years together, as being certain of her Fidelity, Providence and Skill.

28. Another thing that helped me was, my not medling with Tythes or Worldly Business; whereby I had my whole time (except what Sickness deprived me of) for my Duty, and my Mind more free from Entanglements than else it would have been; and also I escaped the offending of the People, and contending by any Law Suits with them. And I found also that Nature it self being Conscious of the Baseness of its Earthly Disposition, doth think basely of those whom it discerneth to be Earthly; and is forced to Reverence those whose Converse is supposed to be most with God and Heaven. Three or Four of my Neighbours managed all those kind of Businesses, of whom I never took Account; and if any one denied to pay their Tythes, if they were poor I ordered them to forgive it them; After that I was constrained to let the Tythes be gathered, as by my Title, to save the Gatherers from Law-Suits. But if they were able, I ordered them to seek it by the Magistrate, with the Damage, and give both my Part and the Damages to the Poor (for I resolved to have none of it my self that was recovered by Law, and yet I could not tollerate the Sacriledge and Fraud of covetous Men). But when they knew that this was the Rule I went by, none of them would do the Poor so great a Kindness as to deny the Payment of their Tythes, that were able. And in my Family I had the Help of my Father and Mother in Law, and the Benefit of a godly, understanding, faithful Servant (an ancient Woman near Sixty Years old) who eased me of all Care, and laid out all my Money for Housekeeping, so that I never had one Hour's trouble about it, nor ever took one Day's Account of her for Fourteen Years together, as being certain of her Fidelity, Providence and Skill.