the downefall of the Papacy Revel. 18. and so the mounting of the Lord Iesus and his white Troopers againe Revel. 19. c. For the going out of any to preach upon hire for the going out to convert sinners and yet to hold communion with them as Saints in prayer For the going out without such a powerfull Call from Christ as the twelve and the seventy had or without such suitable gifts as the first Ministry was furnished with and this especially without a due knowledge of the Period of the Prophecies to be fulfilled I have no Faith to act nor in the Actings and Ministrings of others for There is but one God Lord and Spirit from whom those Gifts Administrations and Operations proceed 1 Cor. 12. without whose holy heavenly concurrence in all those three both Gifts and Administrations and operations instead of Glorifying the name of Christ and saving Souls we may Blaspheame his Name and grieve his spirit and hinder and harden poor souls against Repentance when by fellowship in prayer with them as with Saints we perswade them of their already blessed state of Christianity and that they are New-born the saints and sons and daughters of the living God therefore Lastly If it shall please our most Noble Governours to search into the institution and constitution as they have done of the Diocesan so also of the National and Parish Churches concerning which I shal humbly subjoyn some Queries in the close of all If they please to take off the Yoaks the Soul Yoaks of binding all persons to such parochiall or parish formes permitting them to injoy their own belief whether within or without such Parish worships Parish maintenance Parish maryings Parish Buryings by which the souls and consciences of so many have been inbondaged in life and death and their bodies in respect of buryings after death If they shall please so far if not to countenance yet to permit impartially All consciences and especially the consciences the meetings and assemblings of faithfull and conscionable people the Voluntiers in preaching Christ Iesus so as that what people and persons please may peaceably frequent and repaire to such spirituall meetings and assemblies as they doe the Parish Churches I am humbly confident that as to the point of converting souls to God so far as the present state of Christianity can be so promoted the souls of thousands will blesse God more then if Millions of Hirelings were sent abroad from all the Vniversities both of Popish and Protestant Countries Fourthly 4 Upon the grounds first laid I observe the great and wonderfull mistake both our owne and our Fathers as to the civill powers of this world acting in spirituall matters I have read as blessed Latimer once said the last Will and Testament of the Lord Iesus over many times and yet I cannot finde by one tittle of that Testament that if he had been pleased to have accepted of a temporall Crowne and Government that ever he would have put forth the least finger of temporall 〈◊〉 civill power in the matters of his spirituall affairs anâ—Kingdome Hence must it lamentably be against the Testimonâ— of Christ Iesus for the Civill state to impose upon the Soules of the People a Religion a Worship a Ministry Oaths in Religious and Civil affairs Tithes Times Days Marryings and Buryings in holy ground yet in force as I have I hope by the helpe of God fully debated that great Question with Master Cotton and washt off all his late washings of that bloody Tenent of Persecution c. What is then the expresse duty of the Civill Magistrate as to Christ Iesus his Gospell and Kingdome I answer I know how wofully that Scripture Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers c. hath been abused and elswhere I have at large discussed that and other such Objections At present I humbly conceive that the great Duty of the Magistrate as to spirituals will turne upon these two Hinges First In removing the Civill Bars Obstructions Hinderances in taking of those Yoaks that pinch the very Soules and consciences of men such as yet are the payments of Tithes and the Maintenance of Ministers they have no faith in Such are the inforced Oaths and some ceremonies therein in all the Courts of Iustice such are the holy Marryings holy buryings c. Secondly In a free and absolute permission of the consciences of all men in what is meerly spirituall not the very consciences of the Iews nor the consciences of the Turkes or Papists or Pagans themselves excepted But how will this Propagate the Gospell of Christ Iesus I answer thus The first grand Design of Christ Iesus is to destroy and consume his Mortal enemy Antichrist This must be done by the breath of his Mouth in his Prophets and Witnesses Now the Nations of the World have impiously stopt this heavenly breath and stifled the Lord Iesus in his Servants Now if it shall please the civill State to remove the state bars set up to resist the holy Spirit of God in his servants whom yet finally to resist is not in all the powers of the world I humbly conceive that the civill state hath made a fair progresse in promoting the Gospel of Iesus Christ This Mercy and freedome is due to the meerly religious consciences of all men in the world Is there no more due from the Magistrate to Christ Iesus his saints and Kingdome I answer While I pleade the Conscience of All men to be at Liberty doubtlesse I must plead the Liberty of the Magistrates conscience also and therefore were his bounties and donations to his Bishops and Ministers as large as those of Constantine who but the holy Spirit of God in the mouths of his Prophets can restrain him Onely let not Caesar as Constantine in his setled prosperity did rob the God of Heaven of his Rights the consciences of his subjects their heavenly Rights and Liberties But under the pretence of propagating the Gospell of Christ Iesus it may be said what horrible opinions and Spirits will be vented as woefull experience hath manifested I answer Opinions offensive are of two sorts some savouring of Impiety and some of Incivility Against the first Christ Iesus never cald for the Sword of Steel to helpe the Sword of the Spirit that two-edged Sword that comes out of the mouth of the Lord Iesus And therefore if a world of Arrians deny the Deity of Christ Iesus If a Maniche his humane nature If the Jews deny both and blasphemously call our Christ a Deceiver Nay if the Mahumetans the Turkes the greater number by far of one Religion in the World if they I say pefer their cheating Mahomet before him What now must we raile revile c. and cry ou Blasphemers Hereticks Must we run to the Cutlers shop the Armories and Magazines of the Cities and Nations Must we run to the Cities or Nations and Senates and
The two Prophets in Sack-cloath A glance on Revel. 11. The Apostacy the Witnesse the slaughter the after rising all universall Quest Gifts Pretences to Mat. 28. examined Calâ—ing Worke A stupendious Mâ—stery of Preaching to convert the converted Wages Object Christ Iesus never made Bargaine with his Messengers or Pastors Quâ—st The Lands Countries divided for gain as Daniel speaks and men know in a way of Hire what to be sure of expresly An implicit Bargaine like an Onion is a Bargaine infolded and wrapt up with more subtle peelings c. The first patterne of Ministers Maintenance Objection Objection Gods infinite patience in bearing with his peoples Failings The most voluntary preaching ever most fruitfull Excellent Prophets of God who never knew the pretended School of the Prophets An honourable remembrance of a despised Witnesse of Christ Iesus Samuel How No Successe in Preaching now comparable to the first and why 3. Consectarie No remarkable Conversion of the Nations as yet to be expected Quest The bodies of Protestant Nations yet unconverted The present Designes and purposes of Christ Iesus 3. Consectary Universities as to the Ministry of Christ Iesus none of his Institutions The title Schollar appropriated to the Ministers a sacrilegious title Universities in order to Christs Ministery but refined Monasteries Pharisaicall and Popish Titles and Ceremonies in their Creatings and Commensings Spirituall exercises proper only to the Churches and Assemblies of Saints the true Schools of the Prophets The Hirelings wofull Trade and Merchandize Object Answ. Excellent holy men in the bondage of sinfull Institutions Superstitions Quest The counterfeit of the Apostolical Ministry Institution of Youth in humane learning withall instructing them with the knowledge feare of the Lord most christian and honourable The Civill State never made good work in spiritualls The body of a civill State or Nation and the elect or chosen of God out of each Nation must be rightly distinguished Absolutes fâ—â—â—â—dome in â—â—â—â—ters meerâ—â— spirituall 〈◊〉 all the consciences iâ— the world The people ought not to be forced to nor from the paying of Tenths or Fifths according to their Conscience Objection The Apostolicall Ministry to the lost Nations interrupted Yet of the Prophets and Witnesses mourning in sackcloth continued The Ministry of Prophets more opened Gods Prophets of high or low condition must not keep silence and hide their Talents c. The Apostolicall ministry to the Nations and Peoples The Apostolicall Ministry to the Nations and peoples The Lords worke only in the Lords way The grand oppression of the whole Nation is the Parish inforced constitution Freedom for the people to frequent the word in other Assemblies beside the Parish a great and hopefull means of blessed and Soul-saving fruit to the Nation 4 Consectary Christ Iesus no Founder of Covill power in spirituall causes Quest The Civill Magistrates duty as to spirituals turning upon two hinges Quest The breath of Christ Iesus by which he consumes Antichrist stopt by the Nations Quest The Magistrates and all men ought to excell in fruits of Piety and Mercy according to conscience Object No sword to be used against the most horrid Blasphemies Heresies but the two edged sword of the Word the sword of the Spirit of God Quest Tithes ought not to be injoyned or forbidden The people of this Nation according to their severall Consciences distinguished Objection The Sun of Righteousnesse is able to shine more light upon the wisest and the highest Some prophanesse better then inforced Hipocrisie Severall consciences sometimes emulate each other Gain Godlinesse and God belly The wonderfull burning of Hay and Stubble in this Nation Soul-Liberty ought to be impartially restored to the three Nations All Christs true Followers and especially the Leaders among them are a willing people and Voluntiers Dan. 11. Queries as touching the Parochiall Division of the whole land The Inforcing of a nationall way a national oppression The Parish Churches Idol Temples There is a strange Prophecy extant Henry the 8th Abbeys and Cels Henry the Ninth Churches and Bells Traditionall Religion the Nurse of Hypocrisie and Destruction Dangerous State-policy The want of Civill Officers in this Nation as to birth of Children Marriages and Burials being all but naturall Civill things Singular mercies call for singular Acts of Exemplary and singular Gratitude The Holy name of Gâ—d highly dishonoured by the Legall Oaths of this Nation
The Hireling Ministry None of CHRISTS OR A Discourse touching the Propagating the Gospel of CHRIST JESUS Humbly Presented to such Pious and Honourable Hands whom the present Debate thereof concerns By ROGER WILLIAMS of Providence in New England London Printed in the second Moneth 1652. In this Discourse are briefly touched these Particulars 1. THe Nationall and Parishional Constitution of Churches is found to be the Grand Idoll of the Nation 2. The inforcing of the Nation to such a constitution is the greatest soul oppression in this Nation 3. The Hireling Ministrie attending upon such assemblies or others is none of the ministrie of Christ Iesus 4. The Universities of the Nation as subordinate and subservient to such ministries and Churches are none of the Institutions of Christ Iesus 5. It is the absolute duty of the civil state to set free the souls of all men from that so long oppressing yoake of such ministries and churches Yet 6. Ought the Nation and every person in it be permitted to see with its own eyes and to make free choice of what worship and ministrie and maintenance they please whether parochial or otherwise 7. The Apostolical Commission and ministrie is long since interrupted and discontinued Yet 8. Ever since the beast Antichrist rose the Lord hath stirred up the ministrie of Prophesie who must continue their witness and prophesie until their witness be finished and slaughters probably neer approching accomplished 9. The provocation of the holy eyes is great in all courts throughout the Nation by millions of legal oaths which if not redressed may yet be a fire kindled from his Iealousie who will not hold him guiltless which taketh his name in vain 10. The free permitting of the consciences and meetings of conscionable and faithful people throughout the Nation and the free permission of the Nation to frequent such assemblies will be one of the principal Meanes and expedients as the present state of Christianity stands for the propagating and spreading of the Gospel of the Son of God To all such Honourable and Pious hands whom the present Debate touching the propagating of CHRIST'S Gospel concernes AND TO All such gentle Bereans who with ingenious Civility desire to search whether what 's presented concerning Christ Iesus be so or no All humble respective Salutations IT being a present high Debate Honourable and Beloved how the Gospel of Christ Jesus might more be propagated in this Nation 2. And being desired by eminent friends to cast in my mite towards it 3. And having been engaged in several points of this Nature in my former and later Endeavours against that bloody Tenent of Persecution for cause of Conscience 4. And also having been forced to observe the Goings of God and the spirits of Men both in Old and New England as touching the Church the Ministry and Ordinances of Jesus Christ I did humbly apprehend my Call from Heaven not to hide my Candle under a Bed of Ease and Pleasure or a Bushel of Gain and Profit but to set it on a Candlestick of this publike Profession for the Benefit of others and the Praise of the Father of all Lights and Godliness 2. For the Substance and most of this I suddenly drew it up and delivered two Copies unto two eminent friends of Jesus Christ and this Nation But being importuned for more Copies then I was possibly able to transcribe and being therefore advised by some honourable Friends to use the help of the Press I am thus beyond my first Intentions and Desires held forth in Publike 3. If ought I have expressed seem harsh dissatisfactory or offensive I am humbly bold I hope in the power of the Most High to profess my readiness to discuss debate dispute either by Word or Writing with whom or before whom soever the present Debate concerns with all Christian meekness and due submission 4. It is true I do absolutely deny it against all commers to be the Burthen of the Civil State to take cognisance of any Spiritual cause and I do positively assert it to be the proper and alone work of the holy Son and Spirit of God in the hands of his Saints and Prophets to manage Heavenly and Spiritual causes and that only with Spiritual Weapons against Spiritual Oppositions And therefore that the Higher Powers have been constantly deceived by the Mercenary and Hireling Ministry who being themselves deceived deceive and tack about as the Wind and Time and Advantage blows from Popery to Protestanisme from Protestanisme to Popery from Popery to Protestanisme again From Prelacy to Presbyterie from Presbyterie many to Independency and will again to Presbyterie and Prelacy if not to Popery in some cases rather then lose as they say the Liberty of Preaching But what that loss is of somwhat else Gain Honour c. let themselves and all men judge impartially in the fear of God Yet 5. I humbly acknowledge as to Personal worth I deal with men for many excellent gifts elevated above the common rank of men yea and for Personal Holiness many of them worthy of all true Christian Love and Honour In which respects when I look down upon my self I am really perswaded to acknowledge my unworthiness to hold a Candle or a Book unto them And yet if I give flattering Titles unto men my Maker said Elihu would quickly take me away and why therefore since I have not been altogether a stranger to the Learning of the AEgyptians and have trod the hopefullest paths to Worldly preferments which for Christ's sake I have forsaken since I know what it is to Study to Preach to be an Elder to be applauded and yet also what it is also to tug at the Oar to dig with the Spade and Plow and to labour and travel day and night amongst English amongst Barbarians why should I not be humbly bold to give my witness faithfully to give my counsel effectually and to perswade with some truly pious and conscientious spirits rather to turn to Law to Physick to Souldiery to Educating of Children to Digging and yet not cease from Prophecying rather then to live under the slavery yea and the censure from Christ Jesus and his Saints and others also of a mercenary and Hireling Ministery 6. To which end my humble and hearty cry is to the Father of Lights to plead with all his Children of Light effectually so that they may look up wonder and say Am I a Child of Light Is the Father of Lights my Father and the Saints my fellow Brethren and Schollars in Christ Jesus the children of Light also What make I then in dark places like those that have been dead of old What make I amongst the Graves and Tombs the Livings Benefices Promotions Stipends c I have been told a quick passage between the truly Noble Earl of Essex in Queen Elizabeth her days and a truly able and zealous Non-conformist I have said the Earl been studying a great while these