of a vow. For we read
(Gen. 28:20, 22) that Jacob "made a vow" saying: "If God shall be
with me, and shall keep me in the way by which I walk . . . of all
the things that Thou shalt give to me, I will offer tithes to Thee."
Neither, therefore, during the time of grace are men bound to pay
tithes.

Obj. 4: Further, in the Old Law men were bound to pay three kinds of
tithe. For it is written (Num. 18:23, 24): "The sons of Levi . . .
shall . . . be content with the oblation of tithes, which I have
separated for their uses and necessities." Again, there were other
tithes of which we read (Deut. 14:22, 23): "Every year thou shalt set
aside the tithes of all thy fruits, that the earth bringeth forth
year by year; and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place
which He shall choose." And there were yet other tithes, of which it
is written (Deut. 14:28): "The third year thou shalt separate another
tithe of all things that grow to thee at that time, and shalt lay it
up within thy gates. And the Levite that hath no other part nor
possession with thee, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the
widow, that are within thy gates, shall . . . eat and be filled." Now
during the time of grace men are not bound to pay the second and
third tithes. Neither therefore are they bound to pay the first.

Obj. 5: Further, a debt that is due without any time being fixed for
its payment, must be paid at once under pain of sin. Accordingly if
during the time of grace men are bound, under necessity of precept,
to pay tithes in those countries where tithes are not paid, they
would all be in a state of mortal sin, and so would also be the
ministers of the Church for dissembling. But this seems unreasonable.
Therefore during the time of grace men are not bound under necessity
of precept to pay tithes.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine [*Append. Serm. cclxxcii], whose words
are quoted 16, qu. i [*Can. Decimae], says: "It is a duty to pay
tithes, and whoever refuses to pay them takes what belongs to
another."

_I answer that,_ In the Old Law tithes were paid for the sustenance
of the ministers of God. Hence it is written (Malach. 3:10): "Bring
all the tithes into My [Vulg.: 'the'] store-house that there may be
meat in My house." Hence the precept about the paying of tithes was
partly moral and instilled in the natural reason; and partly
judicial, deriving its force from its divine institution. Because
natural reason dictates that the peop