part of Gods Secrets which is manifest to all men By your fruits are you known Your suing to the Magistrate or Patrons for the gift of the Benefice your requiring of and contracting with those that would have you for great yearly sums and all this before you settle any where to preach also your late device of uniting of BENEFICES but especially your removings from place to place even out of New-England and Scotland hither for sake of a better call and a lowder that is to say of a greater revenue I say all these things fully inform us what is the end of your preaching that we need not to pry into your hearts to know that which is so openly written in your fore-heads for every man to read section 11 T. L. Whether the Scripture-saying concerning them that preach the Gospel That he that ploweth should plow in hope and that he that thresheth should he made partaker of his hope 1 Cor. 9,10 doth not allow some respect to a maintenance for preaching the Gospel Answ Your plowing and your threshing are of one consideration vvith your sowing abovesaid And plainly this place is not intended of any violent maintenance nor yet of a State or Publike Exhibition for Ministers as such which is the thing vve oppose And yet here would I not be thus understood as if I vvere against a competent Livelihood to be allowed out of the Publique even unto all men that be in vvant this in the mean time not omitted That idle persons vvho are able to vvork be compelled thereto But hovv can you be said to plovv or thresh in hope of a Livelihood vvhen as this is alvvaies the first thing ye make sure of and get possession of before ye settle to plovv or thresh any vvhere Now that which is thus possest or assured is no longer capable of being hoped for So your own Weapon recoils upon you and wounds you section 12 It 's very unlikely what ever Tho. Lye believes to the contrary That either the Hireling abides in true Doctrine Can an evil Tree bring forth good fruit or that he which preaches freely brings the Doctrine that 's false especially if besides his free preaching hee 's sure to undergo for his doctrine sake all manner of despight and persecution The Hireling is the false shepherd and how can it then be hoped he will feed with Doctrine that is true T. L. Whether it be not lawful for the people of God to dedicate part of their Estates for the Worship and Service of God And whether it be a sin for the Preachers of the Gospel to receive that which is so dedicated And whether it smell not ranckly of an Ananias and Saphira-like spirit to with-hold that which is so dedicated Durst you charge us That though we feed our selves yet we feed not the Flock Ans Tell us who they were or are that thus have dedicated part of their Estates when where how by what mean and instrument and finally for what space of time Then again demonstrate that you are the men that have right to receive it If this query relate to any such supposed dedication made by our Ancestors in times of Popery I then oppose the Authority of a man well known by hear-say viz. John Wickliff who in his Complaint to the King and Parliament Printed together with other his works Anno 1608. Artic. 3. thus saith Ah Lord Iesus where this be reason to constrain the poor people to finde a worldly priest c. is pomp and pride covetise envy gluttony drunkenesse leachery in simony and heresie with fat horse and jolly c. Ah Lord Jesu sith within few years men paid their tythes and offerings at their own free-will c. where it were lawful and needful that a worldly Priest should destroy this holy and approved custom constraining men to leave this Freedom c. Also Tho. James where he industriously maintaineth the Ministers right to tythes alledgeth yet no such dedication made by our Ancestors but is forced therein to flye to the Analogy of Scriptures as he calls it where he also confesseth That the judgement of our Common-Lawyers was That tyths were not due to any particular Church before the Council of Lateran which was yet a very sandy foundation but that men might bestow them where they would Answ to 6. Obj. of Parsons In the new Law the paying of the tenth part is by a Law that is made by the Church that is by the Bishops c. Lib. de fund Legum Angl. But before I pass over Wickliffs testimony I shall for his greater Authority therein note to the Reader these particulars 1. He was a man esteemed to be of great and profound learning 2 Of eminent piety truth honesty 3. He was himself a priest therfore not likely to have been disposed to do or say any thing unjustly against the Commodity either of himself or the rest of his Order but rather the contrary so is here as a double witness against you 4 He is acknowledged to have been a man vvell skill'd in the then Lavvs of England so it s not likely that he err'd through ignorance And fifty he delivered this his to testimony in Complaint to the King Parliament to vvhom no doubt he was as became him pasing careful every vvay circumspect not to offer any thing that might have savor'd of defect either in knovvledge or charity or of any dishonest affection or private end Suitably to this Witness may it also novv be said that there is no ancient lavv of this Nation by vvhich the called Ministers are inabled to su for tithes c in any Court of justice or equity that now is the city of London liberties therof excepted And what then are they the better if they have a Law when they cannot by Law attain the execution and benefit thereof your suing in the Exchequer is without all direction and countenance of Law yea it is expresly †See Star An. 32. H. 8. C. 7. An. 2 Edw. 6. C. 13. against the Law also upon most false pretences As namely when in your Bills you suggest that you are disenabled to pay your * It may be 20. or 30. s. a yeare tenths and * A smal sum paid at their first coming c. first fruits because such or such a one with-holds from you the tythes c. when as many times it is but one man against whom you so complain Many times but a 10 or 20 s. matter that you sue for although you have both Glebe and Augmentations besides to very great values and the rest of your Tythes be quietly paid you if so I may use this word where a thing is not due Furthermore I demand by what good-right or way of conveyance could our Ancestors give away the Lambs that should come of our sheep the wool that should grow on our flocks our apples and such like things which never were
dispose them to sundry vices and so also lessen and destroy the hope and benefit of such their labors 4. You covet Tythes Glebes Augmentations c. before they are yourss Therefore you covet that which is anothers for certainly these belong to some body before they be given you else also the giver gives you that which was none of his to give 5. You covet all these things without purpose of rendering for or in lieu of them any price or compensation of equal value nay or any value at all 6. You covet more then is requisite unto necessary food and rayment and the rest uses of life which you ought not to do seeing ye both begg and receive these things as meere Almes or charitable reliefe section 89 T. L. Whether all the Apostes did follow handy labor or rather were not maintened by the Churches among whom they labored Answ I have shewed before that Paul Silvanus and Timotheus so Barnabas also did not only use handy labor themselves but commanded and exhorted other Pastors and Elders also to do likewise and that in most vehement sort And though true it be that Paul had power as he saith to forbear working and to give all his time to the Ministery yet did he chuse working rather as preferring it before not working And this he did as one cause thereof to propose himselfe an example to others By like he did even then foresee that in after times there would creep in by fair words and the Magistrates power such Teachers into the Churches and obtruders or that such men should pretend to be ministers of the Gospel as should have hearts exercised with covetous practices and who would take upon them this office chiefly for gifts and rewards And therefore against this sort of men it seemeth he thought it meet and necessary to fence and shut up the office of the Ministerie by injoyning thereunto and as it were annexing handy labour well knowing that now very few would be forward to undertake this office to which no outward priviledges were annexed but such as should be moved thereunto of zeal and good will And indeed this is one good Criterion by which the false Teachers may be known and distinguish'd from the true section 90 T. L. Whether Paul did not yeeld up his right and wrought with his hands on extraordinary occasions viz. to avoid the shew of covetousness to ease the poor and distressed Churches and by his example to win authority to his command concerning labour Ans If Paul did well to use handy labour for these ends and reasons Why is it then that none of your Tribe do think him a pattern worthy their imitation herein Now Paul's ends and reasons for using bodilie labour we shall here collect and rank together 1. That he might have to sustain his life and supply the wants thereof Here was he led by necessitie of nature 2. That he might not be chargeable unto others Here he discovers his Noblenesse of mind and Christian amplitude 3. That he might make the Gospel without charge Herein did his wisdome appear since to have over-burthened such as entertained him might probably have frayed them and others from imbracing the Christian Religion and have brought them into misliking and wearisomness towards the Planters thereof 4. That he might make himself an example unto others Here was his Fatherlie care and the propertie of a good Overseer and Planter of the Gospel 5. Because as he had freely received his Ministerie so he might also freelie give the exercise and benefit thereof here is his justice seen He would not again sell for money or price that which himself had freely received 6. Because it was more blessed to give than to receive Here was the happinesse of his choise with Mary he chose the better part Are not these ends reasons and motives all both for nature full of weight and worth and also for durance of time perpetual Do they not alike obtain and hold in all times and places indifferentlie Are they any part of the old Law Are they typical and so out of force and use with Christians section 91 T. L. Whether the main grounds of Paul's forbearing to receive maintenance from the Corinthians and Thessalonians were not fear of giving offence to the one that were very proud and of burthening the other that were very poor Ans 1. Those were neither the only nor yet the main grounds of Paulâ—s forbearing to receive maintenance of the Corinthians or Thessalonians as the Reader may easilie perceive by reading the places themselves where mention is made of Paul's working and forbearing to take maintenance viz. 2 Cor 11.7,8,9 1 Thes 4 11,12,13 2 Thes 3.7,8,9,10,11,12 In these two last places the Reader shall find other ends and inducements for Paul's and others working besides these here surmized in the Query viz. 1. That we might not be chargeable to any of you which yet doth not necessarily imply them to have been proud or poor 2. To make our selves an ensample to you to follow us 3. For we hear there are some among you that walk disorderly not working at all not working at all was disorderly walking 4. And to work with your own hands as we commanded you that ye may walk honestly towards them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing Ans 2. But what do you say to the Elders and Pastors of the Church at Ephesus mentioned Act. 20.17 Were they also with their Churches poor or proud And yet even unto these did Paul in sad and solemn manner commend his example of handy working not doubting to tell them that so labouring they ought to support the weak finally enforcing such their duty and his advice with the unquestionable authority of the Lord Jesus who said It is more blessed to give than to receive Ans 3. There are the same ends reasons and motives why Ministers of the Gospel should now also work for their livings if not otherwise hindered and with-held therefrom by their travels and other imployments to which they be called and commanded of the Lord as in the Primitive times so called if not far greater for there be now as proud and as poor as were then for ought appears to the contrary Certainly in this one thing at least do the times that now are even far exceed those in which the Apostles lived namely in disputes controversies objections and criminations moved about and grounded upon the idleness and avarice of them who are called Christs Ministers and therefore were there no other reason but this this alone were enough if they more regard had to their own authority or the honour and success of their Ministery than to luxury of food and rayment and other carnal respects to drive them to cut off such occasion as afore is said by working with their hands and abstaining from taking even voluntary contribution abundantly more ought they for the cause above-said forbear to sue at Law to distrain