Motives For Giving Series

All of us would certainly agree that it was a good thing that Columbus was

given the money he needed to sail to the discovery of America. What we do not

realize, however, is the evil method by which the money was gotten. In 1492

Tomas de Torquemada, the chief architect of the Spanish Inquisition, expelled

half a million Jews from Spain and Portugal. He then plundered their

property. It was this confiscated Jewish wealth that Ferdinand and Isabella

used to finance Columbus. The Jews actually financed the discovery of

America, but it was by force and against their will. They were also robbed by

the Christians to pay for the Crusades. It is no wonder that the Jews do not

respond to the Gospel, for history reveals that those who preach the Gospel

were their greatest enemies.

The folly of the church in raising money by robbing the Jews was

multiplied when greed led them to rob other Christians as well. The ignoring

of Paul's principle of each man giving as he purposes in his heart led to great

evil and violence within the church. Compulsory tithing led to some good being

done, but that good can never justify the depriving of men of their freedom to

respond to God as they chose. We saw in our previous message that all of the

reformers opposed the tithing law of the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, the

system of compulsory tithing continued in the Church of England. The

Baptists and Quakers fought it, and they had to pay the price for opposing the

establishment. Many were imprisoned, and some were even martyred for

preaching that compulsory tithing was contrary to the will of God. One

extreme case on record was of Ann and Robert Henderson who were

imprisoned for 11 months for failure to pay one penny.

It is hard for us to imagine the violence, which the church introduced into

society by its method of collecting money. Laymen resented the dictatorial

power of the church, and they expressed it through violence. Dairymaids took

their tithe of milk to the church and poured it on the floor in front of the alter.

The tithe sheaves of farmers were badly bound so they would fall to pieces and

rot in the rain. Collectors were beaten and crops were trampled down to

prevent their being taken. One Hampshire farmer notified the pastor that he

was about to pull turnips so he should come and get his tithe. When the men,

carts and horses arrived he pulled up ten turnips, gave one to the men, and said

he would let the parson know when he planned to draw some more. He was not

a practical joker, but was expressing contempt for the church law, which was

also the state law. The result of this contempt and opposition was the push for

stronger and stricter laws to punish the non-tither. The clergy always won for

they had the law on their side. Lay people came to despise the clergy and the

law, for they worked together to oppress the people.

Tithe wars were declared in England, and the people decided they would

rather die than obey the tithe law. Barricades were erected and trenches were

dug, and no collector was safe. They even developed battle songs to whip up

their fighting spirit against the church. One of them went like this:

We've cheated the parson; we'll cheat him again,

For why should a blockhead have one in ten

For prating so long like a book-learned sot,

Till putting an dumpling burn to pot?

Another sung to the famous hymn tune Old Hundred also voiced this bitter protest:

God save us from these raiding priests,

Who seize our crops and steal our beasts,

Who pray, "Give us our daily bread,"

And take it from our mouths instead.

Conscientious clergyman, of course, left the church rather than be a part of

forcing people by law to support the church. The police had to enforce the law,

and so they broke into homes to take away enough furniture to pay the tithe.

They hated it, but it was their duty to enforce the law, and they became the

objects of much hatred. Remember, it was the Baptist and the Quakers who

were leading the opposition of the establishment. They were minority groups,

and they suffered terribly, but their cause was just, and they eventually won

and the law was changed.

The battle had to be fought again by Baptist in America. That is another

story, but it had the same ending. They won again against all compulsory

methods of church support. One of the reasons you do not get a bill in the mail

for church support, which would be payable under penalty of law, is because

the Baptists fought for the liberty of every person to give heed to Paul's