I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 181 Tithing

Blake looked at the booklet, the cover of which had the word "Revelation" printed in ink.

He hesitated for a moment, then picked it up anyway, and invited John to sit down by the fireplace, tentatively asking, "John, we are both brothers in the Sheffield Church. Do you think we should join the Church of Divine Revelation?"

John Henderson was not as steadfast in his faith as before. He silently stared at the flames in the fireplace, and after a few seconds slowly said, "Maria has been listening to Pastor Wright's sermons in the tent of the Church of Revelation these past few days. She said that the Church of Revelation did not force us to join, but if we do not join before we reach the West, we will not be able to get the thirty acres of land for free."

I am a blacksmith, I don't live off the land, but Maria wants to own her own farm. She says that John and Bill will definitely need land in the future, and it would be a shame to miss this opportunity.

He had clearly wavered when he said those words, and Blake understood what he meant, but he just stared silently at the fire.

Seeing this, Laura finally couldn't help but persuade her husband, "Darling, why are we still hesitating?"

That's thirty acres of land!

That much land in Sheffield is worth at least £500!

Maria is right. John and Bill need land, and Mike and Chris will need land to start their own family in the future!

Even if Lord Robin isn't a prophet, for the sake of these lands, I'm willing to believe he received divine revelation!

His wife's words put Blake in a dilemma once again.

He used to work in a steel mill, earning a monthly salary of over eight pounds. After more than half a year, he had saved up 44 pounds.

This money was enough to buy hundreds of acres of land in the west, but the real reason he was conflicted was not the land, but the fear that he might lose his job at the steel mill if he didn't join the governor's church!

It could even disqualify Mike, Chris, and Scarlett from attending Robin School!

This wasn't just his own wild imagination; it was a rumor he'd heard yesterday from Mr. Gary Knight, the foreman of the steelmaking workshop—

His Excellency the Governor has decided to donate £10,000 to the Revelation Foundation, which will then transfer the donation to the University of America, Robin Secondary School, and Robin Hospital to support the development of education and healthcare in the West.

Immigrants who have already joined the Church of Divine Revelation are naturally unaffected and can send their children to school almost for free to receive a quality education and enjoy medical services at Robin Hospital. However, this may not be the case for others.

Torn between his faith and his land, his job, and his children's education, he didn't want to give up either, so he spent the last two days of his free time he was hesitating.

To be honest, he didn't believe that Governor Chen had really received divine revelation. He wasn't one of those Hessian mercenaries who knew nothing about anything but heaven and hell. He had read Descartes' books and knew that although God existed, He was most likely without personality and would not easily reveal himself to mortals.

Therefore, Governor Chen's claim that he received divine revelation is most likely a lie!

But he also knew that as a husband, he couldn't lose his job at the steel mill, nor could he let his children go without school—so what was there to hesitate about?

He exhaled, picked up the booklet, smiled at his wife, and said, "—Lola, we should think about the children. I will study this Book of Revelation carefully!"

Upon hearing this, Laura hugged her husband, exclaiming joyfully, "Oh, darling! That's wonderful! Now when we get to the West, we'll have a 120-acre farm!"

Seeing that the Blacks had made their decision, John shrugged, stood up, and said, "Blake, Laura, let's choose a farm next to each other! We'll still be neighbors when we're in the West!"

Blake looked at him uncertainly: "John, you—"

John helplessly spread his hands and said, "As long as you believe in God, it doesn't matter which church you're in! I can't just give up so much land like a fool, can I?"

Maria has been nagging me about it for days!

Four days later, on the morning of [date missing].

Bedfordburg.

At the western immigrant camp, John Davis, the chief pastor of the Church of Divine Revelation, arrived at the governor's tent with a smile. After learning from the guards that Governor Chen was already up, he went inside and smiled at Chen Wenbin, who was writing something at his desk: "—Robin! Your method really worked! Many families who were initially reluctant to convert were worried that their children wouldn't be able to continue their education in the West. In the past few days, forty-two families have chosen to convert and join our church!"

Chen Wenbin put down his homemade fountain pen, looked up, pointed to the chair opposite the desk, and said, "Sit down, John!"

Then he turned to the maid who was making the bed and ordered, "Hannah, pour some tea!"

The German girl, whose figure was becoming increasingly plump, could already understand simple words. She answered and quickly picked up the kettle on the stove, poured two cups of tea, and placed them on the desk.

Chen Wenbin understood his "Pope's" personality and knew that he hadn't come specifically to report good news, so he asked with a smile, "John, you didn't come here just to report this achievement, did you?"

Just say what's on your mind!

Davis put down his teacup, nodded, and said, "Robin, I do have something important to discuss with you—it concerns the church's tithe."

"Elevenths tax?"

Chen Wenbin frowned and said, "Didn't I already say that the church cannot take money from believers for the time being?"

"No! The tithe is not just a matter of money."

Davis looked serious and said solemnly, "The tithe is also related to the purity of the believers' faith!"

Only believers who willingly donate one-tenth of their income to the church are truly devout and are qualified to enjoy the benefits and conveniences provided by you and the church!

Those who only think about getting thirty acres of land for free but refuse to pay tithes do not actually believe in God, nor do they believe that you are a prophet chosen by God!

These immigrants have jobs provided by you, and their salaries are paid by you. Most of the tithes will be used for the welfare of believers in the future.

If they still refuse to pay tithes, then what value do such false believers have?

Chen Wenbin was taken aback by what he said, and couldn't help but frown and think carefully. He didn't want to use the Church of Divine Revelation to make money, firstly because he could afford it, and secondly because there was also an official church tax levied in the North American colonies.

In northern New England, church taxes were collected to support the Congregational Church (Puritans). In the central states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, there were no mandatory church taxes. In the southern colonies of Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, church taxes were officially collected and used to support the Anglican Church of England.

This church tax was also one of the points of contention between the North American colonies, especially the non-Anglicans in the South, and the British.

Chen Wenbin's own Revelation Church is still a small entity. Collecting tithes is tantamount to tying his own hands and feet, limiting his own development.

Davis is right. Whether someone is devout or not, their money is the best indicator of their faith. If there is no screening, the church will quickly become a bubble. Although there are many people, they are all just there to take advantage and get benefits. They will definitely fail when it matters.