of foundations but thus the Ministers of Christ never spoke of the Letter and thus herein they differ and disagree the one preacheth Christ to be the Word The other preacheth the Letter and the Scripture to be the Word The Ministers of Christ said Christ was the foundation but these say the Scripture is the foundation and herein they are contrary and sheweth by their Doctrine another spirit then was in the Apostles 7. Again the Ministers of Christ said they spoke wisdom among them that were perfect and said As many of us as are perfect be thus minded and said that the end of their Ministery was to present every man perfect in Christ But the Teachers of this age denies persection and say None must be perfect in this life and if any preach up perfection that it is to be attained they say it is Error and damnable Doctrine Nay they say none shall ever be free from sin or ever have victory over their sin nor overcome the body of sin while he be upon Earth But the Ministers of Christ witnessed they were more then conquerers and that they had put off the body of death and were free from sin and were the servants of Righteousnesse And herein also they differ and are not of one spirit and we know that the Ministers of Christ were guided by the spirit of God which held forth these Doctines and we know the Teachers of this age that their spirit must needs be of the Devil because it holds forth and Practiseth what the Ministers of Christ did not but the contrary 8. Again the Ministers of Christ were persecuted and suffered cruel and grievous things for righteousnesse sake as you may read in the Acts and did not render evil for evil to any man for they suffered patiently But the Teachers of this age are not persecuted but are Persecutorâ— and causeth men to be put into prison and to be banished out of Towns and sues people at the Law and seeks occasions against the people of God and herein they disagree and are not of the same spirit as they were which were Ministers of Christ but sheweth a spirit contrary 9. Again the Ministers and Apostles of Christ were not chargeable to any but made the Gospel without charge and free and laboured with their own hands and did not live idely but were often in cold hunger and nakedness and perils and tryals but the Teachers of this age live in pride and covetousnesse and fulness and doth not work with their own hands but makes the Gospel of Christ chargeable for many hundred thousand pounds in a year doth but maintain them which they have out of poor mens labours and so these differ and disagree from the Ministers of Christ and shews they are not of that spirit that they were guided by but are guided by a contrary spirit because they are contrary in their call and in their doctrine and practise and maintenance 10. Again the Ministers of Christ preached by the splrit according as the spirit gave them utterance and somtime continued preaching till midnight But the Teachers of this age are limited by a glasse and preacheth by a glass and when the hour is out their time of peaching is ended and that which they have studyed for before-hand that they preach and not that which they have received immediately from the spirit of God And herein do they disagree and in many things more which after may be declared 11. Again the Ministers of Christ said Ye may all prophesie one by one that all might be edified and as every one had received the gift of Christ so they might minister to others and desired that all the Lords people were Prophets and Sons and Daughters did prophesie But the teachers of this age will not suffer all to prophesie one by one neither will allow any to preach as they have received from Christ without such qualifications and learned Arts and ordinations of men and they will not allow a woman to prophesie or speak among them and all might speak the word of the Lord faithfully that had it and all might minister as they had received it this was order in the Apostles dayes among them but this is now counted confusion by the Teachers of this age and if any speak to them or any among them many such are made to suffer cruelty or imprisonment or such like by their means and herein they disagree and shew that they are guided by another spirit than the Ministers of Christ were guided by and so are not his Ministers but Deceivers 12 Again the Ministers of Christ declared what they had heard and seen and felt and tasted of the word of life and none of them did boast in another mans line but what they all had received of the Lord that they declared and not their own inventions and commended themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God and they did not provide themselves Studies full of books to gather out of in a weeks time what to preach on the first dayes as the Teachers of this age do who by vain study and humane learning frames up and notes it in a Book an hour or two hours discourse to the people And herein they disagree and shâ—ws that they are guided by a spirit contrary to the Ministers of Christ 13. Again the Apostles and Ministers of Christ were called from their Herds and from Nets from their receit of Customâ— and from their Callings and by receiving the Holy Ghost were made Ministers of Christ and did not seek peoples money to themselves but sought the people to God and went through aruel sufferings and persecutions many times that they might hold forth the way of life and truth to all people But the Teachers of this age they are trained up from their child-hood in Arts and Sciences rising by degrees from one vanity to another till at last they arrive to the function of a Minister of Christ as they call it and few or none of them hath been called from their ordinary calling to preach the Gospel for such a one is hardly allowed of to preach among people and they seek peoples mony to themselves and not the people to God And herein they disagree and shews another spirit then was in the Apostles 14. Again the Ministers of Christ were led and guided by the spirit of Christ and did not fulfill their own wills nor the wills of men and they brought people to the feeling of the spirit of Christ in them to teach them and after they had begotten people to God they said they needed no man to teach them but as the anointing within them taught them But the teachers of theis age follows their own spirits and are subject to the wills of men if men admits them to teach they do but if men deny them then they do not preach but the Apostles did not thus for when men forbid
He that plants a Vineyard may eat of the fruit thereof and he that keeps a flock may eat of the milk of the flock this Paul said though he would not make use of his power herein but wrought with his hands that the Gospel might not be chargeable but what vineyards have the teachers of England planted or what flocks do they keep their vinyards proves not tender grapes but wild sowr grapes wild vines and not vines to bring forth acceptable fruits and their flocks proves not flocks of sheep but wild rude people who are in the nature of wolves and Lyons and if the Magistrates Law were not their vineyard nor the flock would hardly yield them any maintenance the Apostles planted first a vineyard and gathered the sheep before they reaped or eat any of the fruits but the teachers of England differ from them in this for they know what they must have before they plant or before they seed their flock and differs from the Apostles practice who first planted a vineyard and gathered a flock before they could receive any crop and they would not then use their power but kept the Gospel of Christ without charge so that this scripture will not prove the Priests actions lawful in preaching for sums of mony and some other Scriptures they bring to prove the lawfulnesse of their preaching for hire which may all be answered as these are and whatsoever they can obâ—ect wil not justifie them for their reaping carnal things and their hire and their eating of the milk of the flock is quite of another nature as is proved then the Apostles practices were and were the people wise they would see and understand these things and not be deluded through perverting of Scriptures and through wresting of them to other ends theâ— wherefore they were given forth and this is written to answer some of their objections whereby they would defend themselves for what though Paul took of other Churches to supply his necessities as sometimes he did yet this wil not prove the lawfulness of their hundreds of pounds by the year most of which they spend in pride and idlenesse so that still this Judgment is true upon them which I have given all objections being answered and all defences being made void and hereof they are guilty as I have charged them and proved it out of the Scripture They disagree to the Ministers of Christ and agrees with the deceivers and in some particulars exceeds them for I believe all the false prophets in Israel did not destroy any whit near a Million and a half of money in a year considering all things it must come to little lesse their funeral sermons their great Tythes and small Tythes and marriages and sprinkling of Infants and Churching of women with other such penuries claimed by the Priests of England with what is given to them out of the Nations treasure which is many hundred pounds a year also considering how much in a year is spent and consumed at two or three Colledges in this Nation in râ—lation to the Ministry as in bringing some up to the attainment of the Ministry as they call it and upon the educators of such with a very great abundance of such like charges consumed out of the Nations treasure which is wasted as in relation to this Ministry spoken of I do not speak against good education and learning which is in its place a vertue as for travellers and many others neither do I account such money vainly wasted and spent But only as to the Ministry of Christ natural learning is not there admitted to make Ministers or to enable them thereunto but that money which is thereupon spent is wasted and consumed and how much is spent in this way and for such an end onely I leave wise men to judge which will make up a large sum in the whole considering all things I say their yearly maintenance may amount to fifteen hundred thousand pounds a year which is a thousand thousands and half a thousand thousand pound Men of weak understandings can hardly reach to know how much it is and that makes me thus plainly expound it A description of the true Ministers of Christ and its maintenance THe day hath appeared that makes all things manifest and the light is arisen that gives to discern between truâ—h error between the true and every false way and between the worship of God which is spiritual and every false worship of the world which is Idolatry and the true Ministry of Christ is known from the false Ministry by their several fruits and signs for hidden things are brought to light and secret things are revealed but now the people of the world both the wise and the foolish thus they object and say Seeing that you do so much condemn our Ministry and Ministers in their caâ—l in their practices in their conversation and in their maintenance what ministry do you own and what Ministers do you allow of and whether would you have any Ministry at all seeing you throw down and declares against such as the Law of the Land sets up and such as we have looked upon to be able Ministers and after this manner the people of this generation begun to reason among themselves saying what would the people do if they had power what Ministers would they approve of and what maintenance would they allow them To all this I do answer and say The true Ministers and Ministry of Christ we do allow of and we would have set up and established and we wait patiently till it be brought to passe even such as are ordained by power from on high and who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost who are called of God into the work of the Ministry such we do approve of to be Ministers of Christ in whom he is revealed and who have received him and are changed by him from death to life and out of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God and who are born of the spirit and are led and guided by it into all truth and are called by it to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth who are taught by it in all their practices of Religion and in the whole worship of God such we own as have felt the operation of the spirit in themselves and who have tasted handled seen and felt of the word of life which abides for ever and such who goeth in the name of the Lord to Minister and declare freely what they have freely received of God by his Spirit and who preacheth Christ freely as the onely way and means of life and salvation unto all people even such as ministreth him the way the truth and the life the onely justifier and sanctifier and deliverer of â—hem that believe and the condemner of them that believe not and such as ministreth Christ onely the teacher and leader of his people and nothing else besides him and such we allow as onely seeketh and laboreth
in the wisdome of God to bring people out of the wayes of sin and death unto the knowledg of God to the things that belong unto their peace such who have no respect to large places or great benefits to seek after that who will not have hire for preaching nor be hired by great sums of money from one Country to another such as makes the Gospel of Christ free and without charge who will not be burthensome to any but walks in all wisdom as examples of righteousnesse to all people whose conversatiâ—ns are in heaven and holdeth forth in life and practice unto all men what they professe in words and by doctrine and conversation holding forth the light of the glorious Gospel which they have received from God being patterns of all holinesse of peace and long-suffering of meeknesse and patience unto their flocks even such who walks in Christ and shews â—oâ—â—h good works and the fruits of his spirit causing his light to shine forth among men in humility and sobernesse and in all the fruits of peace and truth and such are approved of God and of the saints even they that preach Christ freely to all people and holds forth the light of the world which lighteth every one in the world the free gift of God to all mankind that all may believe and come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved and 〈◊〉 Ministers respects not the persons of any man for advantage neither respects dayes nor places nor things but worships God in spirit and in truth and teacheth that worship unto all people and they gather people into the new covenant where Christ is the high Priest and our bodies the Temples of God and the circumcision in the heart and in the spirit for such are Ministers of the spirit and not of the letter and they divided the Word of God a right they feed the hungry and the rich are sent empty away they cry not peace to the wicked neither doth justifie the unconverted neither do they condemn the righteous nor such as are of an upright heart but Christ they preach to justifie all that do believe and are obedient to him and to condemn all that believe not but are disobedient and such Ministers hath the word of reconciliation their Ministry is made effectual to accomplish the work of God sinners are converted and brought to God thereby and to be taught of him alone and the Saints through that Ministry may obtain to the Holy Ghost and to need no man to teach them but as the annointing within teacheth them which they receive through the Ministry whose labour is and the end of it to present every man perfect in Christ and this Ministry and such Ministers we approve of and they are approved of Christ and we would have them established and who are such will not take care for an outward maintenance neither what to eat or what to put on neither will they Petition to Magistrates for tithes augmentations but are without care as for a livelyhood in this world they will not remove from one Town to another for a better Parsonage or place for such as do so are not the lawful called Ministers of Christ but have run were never sent for Christs Ministers takes no thought for any outward maintenance but approveth themselves in patience in all conditions and sometimes are in want and cold and hunger and nakednesse and in persecutions and tryals and afflictions and suffereth all things for the Name of Christ and yet we do believe and know that such have power to eat and to drink may receive carnal things where they sow spiritual things but as a free gift and not by compulsion or force we do allow that the Ministers of Christ may eat of the milk of the stock which they keep and feed and they may eat of the fruit of the vineyard which they have planted and which they labour in and they may supply their necessities from them whom they have begotten in the faith and whom they labour among in life and doctrine who are sheep of the fold and plants of the vineyard of Christ Jesus but I say as a free gift may they receive the fruits of their labours and not as a debt or any title claimed thereto by the Law of the Nation neither may they receive it by force or compulsion but who are the truly called Ministers of Christ are so far from this or forcing maintenance from any that they will not make use of their power in taking what may be freely given them for they will not make the Gospel burthensome by any means and this is the maintenance we do allow the Ministers of Christ they may eat such things as are set before them in any house which they enter into which is worthy and they may supply their necessities in food and raiment as a free gift from them whom the Ministers are made stewards to watch over them to exhort them to instruct them and to edifie them but not from the World who continues in unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel may they receive any outward maintenance by compulsion or by a free gift neither may they receive great sums of mony by the year or Tithes or other offerings to maintain themselves and their families in pride and idlenesse and lust and excess and superfluity in meats and apparel such a maintenance is by free gift much lesse by force that is not allowed by Christ and his Saints but is the maintenance of Antichristian Teachers which never were sent of Christ and such cannot be content with his allowance and wages but lives in pride and pleasures of this world and in vanity and maintained they say they must be and if they be so they care not from whence it come nor by what means and that is the reason wherefore so many hundreds of honest people are so spoiled in their persons and estates the bodies of some being cast into prison and many others having their goods taken from them by force and distraint and all this is to maintain Antichrists Ministers who neither cares how they have it nor from whom or to what evil use they improve it and this plainly appears in this Nation by many evidences but the Ministers of Christ doth deny such a maintenance and such practises and are come to that life which judgeth all these things And as concerning compelling of maintenance and forcing of it from people this is utterly against the Law of Christ and condemned by him and denyed by the Saints for it is unreasonable and no equality in it that people should be compelled to maintain a Ministry especially such a one as they know is not the Ministry of Christ neither is profitable to them and which they receive no fruits from for the Ministers of Christ doth not desire maintenance from the people of the world neither can receive any from them neither in justice and equity should