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A79548 Christs order, and the disciples practice concerning the ministers maintenance, and releeving of the poore: whereby the claiming tithes, or any thing in stead thereof, appeares to be contrary to the Gospel. 1644 (1644) Wing C3968; Thomason E54_23; ESTC R209920 16,391 16

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Thess 2.9 and in that respect tels the Corinthians It were better for him to dye than that any man should make his glorying void 1 Cor. 9 15. My Brethren have we not here the expresse commands of God concerning his Ministers maintenance and Pauls conforming thereunto both related to us by inspiration of the blessed Spirit and will wee yet from a typicall prohibition onely of not musling an Oxe that trod out the corne under the Law Deut. 25.4 presume to leavie maintaintenance by force of armes for the Ministerie of the Gospel when it appeares plainly by Paul in the beginning of that Chapter where he quotes the same words 1 Cor. 9.9 that we are now onely bound by the equity thereof that is Christians are now obliged in conscience to order matters in such manner that Ministers of the Gospell might live comfortably of the Gospel vers 14. and Paul had this power as well as other Apostles v. 3 4. to require it by exhortation and yet he never used it towards the Corinthians lest he should hinder the Gospel of Christ v. 12. But what power is it which Paul sayes he never exercised towards the Corinthians not a Civill power for we doe not finde in any place that ever he had such a power but a power he had to eate and drinke such things as were set before him 1 Cor. 9.4 with Luke 10.8 And as the beleevers were bound in conscience to give them a competent allowance to live upon so the Apostles both might and ought to presse it upon their consciences receiving it as a gift not to satisfie their covetousnesse nor yet so much for supplying their owne necessities as out of a desire that the fruit thereof might abound to the Donors accounts Phil. 4.17 I know the exceptions will be that if Ministers must have no other maintenance but what good Christians will give them of their own accords the Universities will become solitary Learning of no account and the Ministery of the Gospel grow contemptible and quite deserted To this seeming threefold cord of objections I will onely answer that these are all but feares and jealousies of mortall men at belt which may not be put in competition much lesse make void our Saviours Commission and Pauls practice both which proceeded from the infallible Spirit of God for preaching of the Gospel freely which whilest it was practised in the Primitive times proved so successefull and amongst other blessed effects wrought so powerfully upon their spirits as that we finde not a few onely but even all that beleeved had all things common who selling their goods and possessions parted them to all men as they had need Act. 2.44.45 Doe we thinke the Apostles or other Ministers could want amongst Christians that were thus all of one minde no man saying that any thing was his owne which he possessed Act 4.32 Or doe we distrust Gods providence and thinke his Ordinances have not the same blessings both spirituall and temporall accompanying them if wee be alike faithfull in submitting unto them or if a Minister which truly laboureth in the Gospel shall really want maintenance may hee betake himselfe to requiring it by compulsive meanes or else not preach at all or preach unwillingly for which he has no president in Scripture neglecting Pauls example who wrought with his owne hands that he might make the Gospel without charge and yet thinke to share reward with Paul in heaven 1 Cor. 9.17.18 hee may steale as well for 't is a robbing them of that Gospel which was directed to them if he withhold it totally set such a price on it or in such a manner as God never gave commission and though he escape on earth his sinnes will follow after him to judgement 1 Tim. 5.24 He that walketh in darknesse knoweth not whither he goeth Iohn 12.35 he may be in hell before he be aware Since then light is come into the world let us not be found to love darknesse rather than light Iohn 3.19 the Epidemicall corruption throughout all Christendome of mens thrusting themselves into the Ministery meerly to make a gaine thereof which Paul disavowed 2 Cor. 12.17 and not sincerely for the Gospels sake For as it cannot be denied but such are more swayed with the love of lucre than of Christ so is it an undoubted cause that their endeavours ever since have proved so unprofitable unto the people still remaining for the most part without any power of godlinesse secure in ignorance dead in sin whereas we observed before the great successefulnes wherewith God was pleased to blesse the contrary practice in the Apostles times and if yet we shall apply our selves to follow them in this particular God can no more be wanting to second us with a blessing than to deny himselfe in suffering his owne Ordinances to be ineffectuall injurious to his people and prejudiciall to his Gospels cause On let us try our good God herein before wee censure Him of unfaithfulnesse and the Lord in much mercy prevent that this temptation remaine no more amongst us to the great scandall of our B●●thren of Scotland and other Protestant Churches not without great shame unto our selves in this world and imminent danger of rasing up against us in the world to come FINIS