them to teach they did not cease to preach but went on boldly declaring the Name of the Lord And these teachers do not bring people to know the spirit of Christ in them neither can any through their preaching receive the anointing to dwell in them that so they do not need any man to reach them but people are ever learning as long as they live and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth people are not profited at all and in this thing they disagree and shews another spirit then the Apostles were guided by even the spirit of Antichrist 15. Again the Ministers of Christ were low poor meek sober humble men such as did not exalt themselves nor maintain themselves in pride and fulness by receiving of poor peoples labours But the Teachers of this age are proud and heady high-minded selfe-willed and exalted spirits living in idleness pride and fulness and receives of the labours of poor people and herein they disagree for the Apostles were often in cold and hunger and great sufferings and perplexities but these are as fed horses the proudest of all people and the most covetous of any men and all men must bow to them and call them Masters which is quite contrary to Christs command And thus they shew another spirit then what the Ministers of Christ were guided by and if another spirit it must needs be the spirit of the devil for either the spirit of Christ leads men or the spirit of the devil And now seeing that the Teachers of this age brings forth fruits contrary to the Ministers of Christ it shews that they are not guided by the spirit of Christ because in their calling in their Ministery in their maintenance in their life and conversation and in their doctrine they are not the same but quite contrary to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ what can we conclude of them we have concluded already that such are deceivers whose works are of another nature and who are guided by another spirit than the Ministers of Christ were for Christ saith Every tree is known by its fruits And this is sufficient what I have said and if need require it may further be made to appear in the sight of the whole world and sufficiently proved that they differ in all these things mentioned and in many more and are not one with the Apostles neither in call nor practice nor maintenance nor in doctrine nor in conversation nor in any other thing but doth disagree and is quite contrary so as it is concluded these are not the Ministers of Christ though they profess themselves to be so because they bring forth fruits quite contrary to the spirit of Jesus which the spirit of Jesus did and doth reprove and seeing they are not guided by the spirit of JESUS because their fruits are contrary to it then must they needs be guided by the spirit of Antichrist and so are the Ministers of Antichrist and doth his works by his spirit And further I shall shew wherein they do agree with the false prophets and false Apostles and wherein they are like unto them in their Ministry and practise and doctrine and conversation and if the marks of deceivers fall upon them in the sight of all people why should they not hear it And if the same works be proved to be acted by them which the false Prophets and deceivers acted then why should it be thought a thing incredible among men that these are deceivers 1. First the false Prophets â—un and were not sent and they did not profit the people at all for they stood not in the counsel of God and so they turned not any from their iniquity but rather strengthened the hands of the evil-deer so that none could turn from their wickedness and they spoke a vision of their own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord and they said still to the wicked The Lord hath said ye shall have peace and to every one that walked after the imaginations of their own heart they cryed No evil shall come upon him and the Priests and the Prophets were prophane as you may read Ier. 23. And this is a fit parallel for the Teachers of this generation they can shew no call from God nor by his spirit neither is people profited by them as expâ—rience doth shew and teach through this Nation they do cry peace to the wicked and count all Christians and Followers of Christ that are but sprinkled when they are infants though they live in wickedness and from them as from the Prophets of Israel is prophaness gone forth into many Nations and a wicked example of evil these give to all Nations neither do these speak from the mouth of the Lord but a vision of their own heart and what old Authors say and at the best but what the Saints of the Lord said before them and this is no more as done by them then stealing the Prophets words or the word from their neighbour Again you may read how the false Prophets used their tongues and said the Lord saith it when God had never spoken to them but onely what they had stole from others who were the Prophets of the Lord and this is a fit example to the Teachers of this age and a true parallel between them for these dare not own that ever they heard the voyce of the Lord imediately nor that they spoke from the month of the Lord immediately but useth their tongues and saith the Lord said so by such a Prophet when as themselves have not received the word from the Lord and the Lord was against such who prophesied lies as did the false Prophets of Israel as the Teachers of this age do as it is manifest and the Lord is against them and herein do they agree and concur with the false Prophets in their call and are in concord with the deceivers of old 2. Again the false Prophets and blind watchmen of Israel they were ignorant and they were greedy dumb dogs that never cold have enough and they look to their own way and every one sought for his gain from their quarters and they were drinkers of wine and strong drink and boasted that to morrow should be as this day Isay 56. And this is a fit parallel with the Teachers of this age for they are blind watchmen and doth not discover to people the wickedness of their waies and no less can be said of them than that they are greedy dumb dogs for they all look to their own way and every one of them hath a quarter a Town or a Parish from which they seek their gain and some of them are lovers of wine and strong drink as daily experiences witness and herein the Teachers of this generation are proved to succeed the false Prophets in the same works and sheweth they are guided by the same spirit because they so fitly agree and concur in their works and this is plain to
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
A just and Lawful TRYAL OF THE Teachers and professed Ministers Of this age and GENERATION BY A perfect proceeding against them And hereby they are righteously examined justly weighed and truly measured and condemned out of their own mouths and judged by their own professed Rule viz. the Scriptures and thereby are proved to disagree and be contrary to all the Ministers of Christ in former ages and to agree and concur with all the false Prophets and deceivers in their call in their maintenance and in their doctrines and conversation and practice And being brought to the Bar of Justice these things are truly charged against them and legally proved upon them and their own professed Rule the Scripture have judged them guilty Whereunto is added A short Description of the true Ministry of Christ and of his lawful and just maintenance according to the Apostles examples and now again justified by the people of God called Quakers in England By a friend to England's Common wealth for whose sake this is written and sent abroad Edward Burrough LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1660 A just and lawfull TRYAL THE time of tryal is come wherein the Lord is trying the hearts of all men and now it is manifest what lodgeth in the hearts of all man kinde and by the fruit every tree shall be judged The Lord hath beheld the wickedness of this generation and it is very great and comes not short but rather abounds all other generations that have gone before Wickednesse is grown high among Teachers and people and the measure of iniquity is fulfilling daily Come let us reason together What think you was there ever such a generation of Teachers as this is Have they any example that ever went before for their wickedness to whom may they be compared or with whom shall we parallel them And because they say the Scripture is their Rule therefore will we try them by it and their own mouths shall condemn them and such they shall be concluded to be whose example they do follow be it Ministers of Christ or be it deceivers unto the Apostles and Ministers of Christ they are compared but are found quite contrary in many things and their practise fitly sutes and agrees with all the false Prophets deceivers and thus I shall prove them according to Scripture wherein these men that are Teachers do disagree to the Apostles Ministers of Christ which he sent forth in former generations and wherein they do agree with the deceivers and Antichrists and false Prophets that have run and not been sent 1. And first of all the Apostles and Ministers of Christ were made Ministers of Christ by the gift of the Holy Ghost and by power from on high onely and what they Ministered unto others they had freely received from Christ and had handled felt and tasted of the word of life But the Teachers of this generation doth not agree with them in this for they are made Ministers by natural learning and education and the knowledge of Arts and by the ordination of men and by powers of this world and not by the gift of the Holy Ghost and they spake that which they have heard out of books and studied for by Arts and which they have received from man and not that which they have received only from the Lord 2 The Ministers of Christ they were approved of God and called by his spirit into the work of the Ministry and were not of man neither by man But many of these are approved of man and not of God and called by man and maintained by men in their Ministry and herein they do differ and disagree for as I said the Ministers of Christ were made Minister by the Holy Ghost and not by natural learning but these are made Ministers by natural learning or otherwise and not by the gift of the Holy Ghost 3. Again herein do they disagree The Ministers of Jesus Christ went up and down through the World declaring the word of the Lord freely at any time in the Market-places and in the Synagogues and in the Streets and went from Countrey to Countrey and were strangers upon earth not having any certain dwelling place or any great Parsonages But these settle themselves in a certain place for so much money by the year and spend their time in ease and pleasure and lust of the flesh selling to the people for money what they preach and herein they disagree the Ministers of Christ preached freely as they had received freely but the Ministers of this age sells for money what they preach to the people and thus they differ in their call to the Ministry and in their practice in the ministry and in their maintenance also as is made manifest to many 4. Again the Ministers of Christ preached to bring people into fellowship with God by preaching of the Gospel through converting sinners unto the knowledge of the truth and by no other way did they make Christians nor counted any so but such as had repented and were changed by the spirit But the Teachers of this age do make Christians by sprinkling them while they are Infants before they preach the Gospel to them or before they repent of their sins and they bring them into fellowship by traditions and a vain shew of baptism and not by the spirit of God and herein also they disagree the one counted none Christians but such as were converted by the spirit of God and knew the operation of Gods spirit and the other counts all Christians that are sprinkled when they are Infants while they are without the operation of the spirit of God and converts them not unto God by their preaching but tells them they are Christians before they preach to them 5 Again they differ in Doctrine for the Ministers of Christ preached Christ the light of the World and said he lighted every man that cometh into the World But the Teachers of this age contend against that and saith every man is not enlightned by him but some have no light from Christ and the Ministers of Christ they turned people to the light from the darkness and from Satans power to the Power of God But the Teachers of this age doth not turn people to the light of Christ within but to the Saints words without or to some other thing and are divided among themselves and so in effect cryes Lo here and lo there is Christ in this from or that form but the Ministers of Christ said he was within people or else they were Reprobates 6. Again the Ministers of Christ said Christ was the word and the Scripture was a Declaration of what they believed But the Teachers of this age saith the Letter and the Scripture is the Word and saith it is the Instrument wherby God saves souls saith it is both the writings and the things signified and saith it is the foundation
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
all men that are but reasonable much more to men that are spiritual 3. Again the deceivers such as were false Prophets Preached for hire and Divined for mony and yet leaned upon the Lord and said is not the Lord among us and the teachers of this age they have hire for preaching and great sums of mony and they say they lean upon the Lord of these things their needs no proof they are so plain in every Town and Countrie where the Priests preacheth for hire and the Prophets divine for mony and herein they fitlie agree and concur with the deceivers of old and follows them as an example shewing that they walke by the very same spirit 4. Again the false shepherds of Israel were like Foxes in the desert for they followed their own spirits and had seen nothing but lying Divinations saying the Lord said when the Lord had not sent them and they seduced the people saying peace when there was no peace to them from God and one builded a wall and aother daubed it with untempred morter and with lies the heart of the righteous they made sad whom the LORD had not made sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life And this is a fit paralel to the Teachers of this age for they follow their own spirits because they do things contrary to the spirit of Jesus and they have seen nothing but lying vanities and divinations whereby they do seduce the people by telling them they are Christians and that they are baptised into the saith of Christ and that they have the Seal of the remission of sins by being sprinkled with water when they were Infants and these are lying divinations by which they seduce people and saith they shall have peace while they still continue in sin and thus they build a wall and daubs it with untempered morter and makes a Christian of their own and feeds him with false hopes and with such lies as these and many other which they declare for doctrine the heart of the righteous is made sad at this day and the hands of the wicked are strengthened that he cannot turn from his wicked way for life is promised to him though he be wicked ungodly living in all unrighteousness for they tell him that Christ is his righteousness to justifie him then he thinks he need not turn from his sin and so their hands are strengthened that they cannot turn from their sins and herein the teachers of this age and the false prophets do fully agree and are so like the one to the other as children of one father and their works are so like as crafts-men of one science and thus they are one in union and follows the same spirit 5. Again the shepherds of Isâ—del idle Pastors and Deceivers they eat the fat and they cloath themselves with the wool and they killed them that were fed but they feed not the flock the diseased they did not strengthen neither healed they the sick neither bound they up the broken neither brought they again that which was driven away neither did they seek again that which was lost but with force and cruelty they ruled the flock and was scattered and become meat to all the beasts of the field and the sheep wandred throughout all the Mountains and the flock was scattered and none of the Shepheards did search or seek after them and they eat and drank up the good of the Pasture and trod down the residue with their feet and they thrust with side and with shoulder and they pushed all the diseased with their horn till they scattered them abooad Now this is a fit comparison with the practice of the teachers of this age for they eat the fat and lives in pleasures and fulnâ—ss most of any and they cloath with the wool for they claim the tenth part of every mans wool and if any be fed by the true shepheard they seek to kill them and to devour their lives by causing them to be imprisoned and cruelty done unto them and they feed not the flock neither do they strengthen the diseased nor healeth the sick neither bind they up the broken for if any be wounded and cries out because of the burden of sinne and be sick and broken and trembles at the word of the Lord such they cry out is deceived and mocketh at them and the Image of God which hath been driven away and lost they have not sought in people but with cruelty have they ruled among people by running to Magistrates and causing such to be put into prison that would not help to maintain them and thus with cruelty do they rule among people as it is witnessed by many testimonies in England and the people are scattered and wandered into many sects and false judgements and false opinions and they are not sought after by the Teachers of this age to regain them to the truth by sound doctrine but they persecute them and the shepherds feed themselves and feeds not the flock and even eats up the good pasture and treads down the residue and drinks of the deep waters and fouls the residue with their feet so that none that follows them can drink of the pure waters nor eat of the bread of life and they thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased which are wounded because of their sin who is ready to die for want of the Bread of life which denies are weary of their abominations these they push at with their horns and causeth to be persecuted and thus they fitly agree with the false shepherds of Israel and are no whit wanting in any thing wherein they were guilty but rather abounding which sheweth that they follow the same spirit and are of the same stock and seed and the Lord is against these as he was against them in old time and no more are these Ministers of Christ that acts these things then they were which acted the same things by the same spirit and this is plain to all that shuts not their eye and stops not their ear 6. Again the false Prophets and deceivers they made the people erre and did bite with their teeth and cryed peace but they that put not into their mouths they prepared War against them as you may read Micha 3. Now the teachers of this age brings forth the very same for they cry peace unto all that puts into their mouths though people be never so ungodly if they will maintain them they cry peace to them but if people put not into their mouths they prepare war against them by suing them at the Law and casting them into prison if any deny to pay them tithes or mony though they have no due to it by the Law of Christ such do prepare open war against them by distraining their goods and taking treble dammages and casting their bodies into bonds and herein the teachers
but the Magistrates hold their hands from causing people to pay them Tythes by their orders and writs I 'le undertake as I do believe they must either beg or work or a worse thing for a livelihood or else perish so little love is there in their own people towards them so little love have they gained in the hearts of many people toward them these many years that they have preached herein again I do believe that they do exceed all the false prophets all the deceivers that ever went before them in this respect none ever had the Magistrates to act for them as these have and as it appears the Rulers some of them are at the wils of the teachers to do for them what they desire either to take peoples goods or to send them to prison shewing that these Teachers have not a spiritual weapon to defend themselves but that the Magistrates with their Law are their chiefest Armour for if they can but get favour of a Magistrate they have allowance to preach at such a place and if they can get the favour of the Magistrate they can do well enough to be maintained by causing such to be sent to prison or taking treble dammages upon their goods if they wil not help to maintain them and if they have the favour of the Magistrate if any do reprove them for these things and for other of their wickednesse and if any do but tell them of it they can have such sent to prison as in revenge for speaking and reproving them for their wickednesse hath some hundreds of innocent people suffered cruel imprisonments and other cruel things in these Nations so that iniquity is upheld as it were by force and power so that it is not their Gospel that maintains them and gets them favour with the people nor doth it defend them but it is the command and warrant of the Magistrate which doth all this so when the Magistrates ceaseth to approve them to maintain them and defend them they must utterly fall into misery and can neither be approved maintained or defended any other way for because of this their wickednesse God hath left them and all honest true hearted people hath left them therefore what a condition are the teachers in who deserves not the love of men because they are so cruel-hearted towards them and they deserve not the love of God because they are so wicked against him and I might yet more fully describe declare wherein they do exceed the deceivers and false Prophets of old but of this according as the Lord moves and leadeth and this may suffice to shew what they are by their works and by the spirit that leads them which appears not to be the spirit of God but the spirit of Antichrist Furthermore and besides all this that I have said herein they do exceed the deceivers that are gone before for upon account the sum of their maintenance yearly in these Nations being reckoned maybe about †fifteen hundred thousand pounds a year Oh wonderful is not this almost incredible that the teachers should put the nation to such a charge as this and yet people receives nothing answerable to it but all this money is spent for that which is not bread and their labour wasted and they have no profit thereby this money might be made better use of then to give it for deceiving the people and if any doubt of this account and shall think this is not like to be true upon an even reckoning it may be proved and made appear considering how many parishes there is and reckon what belongs to every Priests parish with what is given to the Priests in Ireland which is abundance these things are a shame to the Ministry of Christ though the impudent teachers of these Nations are void of shame herein A Reply to the Priests Plea and an Answer to their Objections VVHereas many of the priests of England to hide themselves from the charge of being hirelings they alledge these scriptures The laborer is worthy of his hire and the workman is worthy of his meat but these Scriptures will not serve to cover their shame in what is charged against them for this hire which Christ allowes to the labourers is but to remain in the same house in which they enter eating and drinking such things as they give them with such who were worthy they were to remain and to eat that which was set before them and they laboured truly and travelled up and down and were truly worthy of meat for their work and of this hire for their labor but this makes nothing for the lawfulness of so many pounds a year at a certain place this is more then eating at a house which is worthy to bargain with people for so much a year and compelling people to pay by a Law that do deny Christ never instituted such a practice neither can it be truly said that these called Ministers do labor as the Ministers of Christ did and so this scripture is but wrested by them when they bring it for proof of their practice for their hundred pounds a year compelling some of it from the people doth exceed eating and drinking to suffice nature with such who are worthy so this Scripture makes not for their turn nor doth it justifie their practices Again they object against and charge the words of Paul who said He that preacheth the Gospel shall live on the Gospel and that it was a small matter to reap carnal things from them unto whom they sowed spiritual things but this Scripture makes not for them for as I have said it s not the preaching of the Gospel that maintains them but the Magistrates with their Law that compels maintenance from the people this is not to live on the Gospel for we allow as Paul did that they which preach the Gospel should live on the Gospel therefore let the Magistrates cease with their power to cause people to pay them and let all the world see if their gospel will maintain them and let them reap their carnal things from them where they sow spiritual but they must reap as a free gift too and not by compulsion for so the Apostle signifies it is a small matter for any to reap carnal things where they sow spiritual things yet what is this to prove the lawfulnesse of bargaining with people for so much by the year as these teachers of England do many of them will not preach except they have so much promised them before for it is right to reap after sowing but it is a transgression to bargain to reap before they sow these scriptures will not hide them nor defend them in their practice for if the Magistrates did not compel from people maintenance by a Law the Priests of this age would reap but little from anything that they sow for there 's little love in the hearts of people towards them Also they object
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