Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount Discourse V · §43 · John Wesley

A second tenth to the poor

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Yes, the stricter Pharisees, as has often been observed by those who know the ancient Jewish writings, not content with giving one tenth of their substance to God in his priests and Levites, gave another tenth to God in the poor, and that continually. They gave the same proportion of all they had in alms as they were accustomed to give in tithes. And this likewise they adjusted with the utmost exactness, so that they might not keep back any part, but might fully render to God the things which were God's (Matthew 22:21), as they accounted this to be. So that, on the whole, they gave away, year by year, an entire fifth of all that they possessed.

1771 text

Yea, the stricter Pharisees (as has been often observed, by those who are versed in the ancient Jewish writings) not content with giving one tenth of their substance to God, in his priests and Levites, gave another tenth to God in the poor, and that continually. They gave the same proportion of all they had in alms, as they were accustomed to give in tithes. And this likewise they adjusted with the utmost exactness, that they might not keep back any part, but might fully render unto God the things which were God’s, as they accounted this to be. So that, upon the whole, they gave away, from year to year, an entire fifth of all that they possest.

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