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duty_n command_v servant_n unprofitable_a 1,244 5 10.6349 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A55978 The rights and liberties of the church asserted and vindicated, against the pretended right and usurpation of patronage. Park, Robert, d. 1689? 1689 (1689) Wing P363; ESTC R22377 75,800 180

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this Natural and moral duty they are also oblidged to have Temples or large and convenient Meeting places as the word signifies Templum quasi tectum amplum for that end where they may be covered and sheltered from the injuries of the weather in going about these duties As also in consequence of the same duty They are likewise oblidged to settle a sutable maintenance on such as are sequest rate and set a part from all other Imployments to attend this Worship and Service and to instruct their People in the Mysteries of Religion Quando enim aliquid conceditur id etiam concedi videtur sine quo concessum subsistere non potest And accordingly we find the practice of all Nations in all ages how barbarous so ever hath been sutable hereunto V. And therefore this being a Natural and acknowledged duty the burden of it must necessarly be charged upon such as have the only interest and property in the Lands and Rents within that bounds so that we may safely conclude that such Benefactors as these are so far from deserving such a Priviledge over the Church and her L●berties thereby that as our Blessed Saviour says when they have done all that is Commanded them to do Luke 17. they must acknowledge themselves to be unprofitable Servants and that they have done nothing but what was their duty VI Next such Heretors and Proprietars tho' the whole charge does Naturally ly upon them yet they have alwayes the concurrence of the rest of the Inhabitants of the bounds tho' these have no interest of property in the Lands And thereby a Proportional and perhaps a greater releife of the burden So that such Benefactors do not in that case so much as their duty oblidges them to do and therefore they do still less deserve such a priviledge VII Lastly we do not find that any of the People or Princes of Israel such as David Solomon for all the vast expence of treasure they laid out upon the building and repairing of the Temple at Jerusalem once and again or upon the many Synagogues that were spred up and down the Land some whereof were built at the privat charge of single persons Luke 7th And those Strangers and Foraigners too who were under no obligation by being born within the Land so to do I say we do not find that any of those Princes or people for all the vast expence they were at did ever lay claim to the least shaddow of such a priviledge in reference to the Call and Maintenance of the Officers of the Church VIII And under the new Testament we find as little mention of such a priviledge for all the large possessions and donatives that were bestowed by the faithful upon pious uses Acts 4.32 to the end 2 Cor 8 Philip 4 Rom. 15.1 Cor 4. Gal 6. were given freely and frankly without reserve The practise of Ananias and Saphira and of Simon Magus do indeed look another way But sure I am neither their actions nor approbation will incline any man that is not altogether deserted of God to an imitation of their example The native use we are to make of these Beacons so early set up in the Christian Church is to Caution us from Steiring near these rocks on which they Split IX The second sort of Benefactors mentioned viz those who confer favours on the Church per modum Eleemosynae or by way of pure almes and free Charity are such persons as having no civil interest or estate within the bounds do build a Kirk or dote the same with a maintenance more or less meerly from a principle of Compassion to the people who dwell therein and perhaps ly at a great distance or otherwise inconveniently for other meeting places of publick worship with a single heart for advancing the Glory of God and for promoting the spiritual interest and welfare of the Souls of his people These tho' they be the only persons that can be said to confer real favour on the Church and to do true acts of Charity and so may seem to have a much faiter pretence to claim the Right of patronage than any of the other Benefactors I mean the first Donors themselves for as to heires and successors they are terms very unsutable in this affair as I have already hinted and shall yet farther cleare yet with all we must still conclude that even those can be allowed no such priviledge X. First because the design and nature of such good deeds can never be constructed so as to deprive the Church of her freedom of Election which she enjoyed before such a grant For this would truely bring those Benefactors under the guilt of a design of Robbery which is absolutely inconsistent with and destructive of the nature and design of Charity XI For if such favours be really conferred on the Church per modum purae Eleemosynae or by way of pure Charity there can be nothing more unsutable to the nature or design of alms-giving or more destructive of it than either to assume or expect a recompence of gain applause or any other temporal reward and much less can such an enslaving priviledge as this of Patronage be expected For almes as almes look for no recompence or reward from those on whom they are bestowed Job 31.16 to 24 Job 29.13 proverbs 19 7. mat 6 save that of a blessing from the Lord to whom Gifts of that nature are said to be lent and who hath engaged to repay them accordingly And the ordinar reddendo of pia animarum suffragia from those who receive the Almes cannot be otherways understood in any sound sense Thus Job glories that the Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him And surely he that takes or expects any other return hath his reward as our Saviour sayes and can expect no other So that he who by such good Deeds expects to obtain either a Jus Vtile or a Jus Honorificum especially that part of it which is so prejudicial to the Church viz. the Patron 's negative Interests in the Election and Maintenance of the Ministry seems to say as much as that he neither is that chearful and liberal Giver whom the Lord loves nor that he looks upon God who hath promised to pay and requite him to be a sufficient Pay-master and therefore that he will betake himself to a recompence by this unsutable reserve XII Secondly That which is once given away and consecrate to the Lord for pious Uses is no more his that gave it as is clear from the case of Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. and therefore no man can expect to retain any private Interest in it It is elegantly said by Emanuel Comnenus the Emperor Novel 1. de execut Test Christum haeredem scribere qu●s videtur cum pauperibus substantias suas dividi praecipit cum en●m Mendicans accipit Christus astat ac una cum illo manum porrigit Quatenus namque inquit