Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A11600
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The ministers portion· By William Sclater. Batchelar of Diuinity and minister of the word of God at Pitmister in Somerset
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Sclater, William, 1575-1626.
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1612
(1612)
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STC 21841; ESTC S116822
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29,708
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56
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THE MINISTERS PORTION BY WILLIAM SCLATER BATCHELAR OF DIVINITY and Minister of the word of God at PITMISTER in Somerset AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes 1612 TO THE WORSHIPFVLL Mr THOMAS SOVTHCOT ESQVIRE at MOONES-OTERY in Devon grace and peace SIR when I first meditated what at your instance I revised and now almost enforced publish I expected cōtradictions from Mammonistes and scarse hoped to perswade men savouring of better things Such a holdfast is covetousnes so incredulous is preiudice Farther opposition from brethren and Iudicious men was as farre from my thought as I am in this point from their opinion But Austin saith wel Aug. cont Advers leg prophet li. 1. c. 2◠Deus donat prodesse nobis non solûm quod docet veritas verùm etiā quod obstrepit vanitas And such opposings against truth are thus farre for it that they occasion more intentiue search and clearer discovery of the truth My purpose is not to prescribe to any mans faith Nam quis ego sum Even the least of Gods little ones Yet as one that hath obtained mercy of God to be faithfull let me entreat this favour from men to be heard on even termes with mē I freely confesse of far greater gifts yet as I thinke having no such evidence in this point to carry away so hādsmooth a conclusion of such dependance This I hope will appeare to any impartiall reader that the reasons here brought for tythes are much nearer to demōstratiue thē those against them are to probable arguments My poore paines I haue inscribed to your worship as for many your well deservings of me and the Church of God so for that you first vrged a review of the first rude draught and haue given me so manie occasions to thinke you will not be the last in practising this vnprofitable profitable conclusion when once your Iudgement shal bee convinced And though I loue not to bee peremptory for I know mine owne blindnes yet this I thinke I may say the reasons on both sides being peized in even ballance there will scarce be left place for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or suspense of Iudgment except men be resolute to hold their conclusion in despight of all contrary premises Now the God of all truth direct our hearts to the knowledge and loue and obedience of the truth And the same God that begun his good worke in you confirme and perfect it to the day of our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen Your worships in the truest loue WILLIAM SCLATER 1. Cor. 9.13 14. Do yee not know that they which minister about the holy things liue of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Evē so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell THis whole period of Scripture from ver 5. to 15. consists of one discrete axiome in summe this Though I Paule haue power and right to liue at the charge of the Church ver 5. yet I haue not vsed that power ver 12. the reason whereof he giues Least hee should hinder the Gospell of Christ through suspicion of mercenary Affection in preaching Now for that it might be questioned whether he had any such right or no hee avowes the truth of his title by arguments à genere he was an Apostle preacher of the Gospell ver 1. Ergo had right 2. prevētingly à pari in the practise of others ver 5.6 as well as Peter c. And for that the claime might not seeme equall betwixt Paule and Cephas and the Lords brethren he sheweth that to every minister of the Gospell maintenance is due for their worke sake By reasons 1. From voice of nature and consent of nations in other semblant imployments as who goes to war c. ver 7. 2. From mandate of the law of God Saith not the law of God the same c. ver 8.9.10 3. From excellency of blessings conferred by Ministers cōpared with qualitie of things exacted for recompence If we sowe spirituall things c. ver 11. 4. From allowed practise of Leviticall ministery ver 13. Lastly from expresse ordinance of Christ the Lord hath ordained c. ver 14. this the frame of the text Out of all which amounts this plaine Apostolicall conclusion That maintenance is due from people to Ministers for their worke sake Other proofes then are here set downe it is needlesse to vse Wee haue here more then two or three witnesses fiue sound reasons inforcing it The bare word of an Apostle is enough to carry a point more doubtfull How much more should it sway with vs when Gods spirit that spake in them is pleased by so many reasons to avouch it Is it not then a sound tenēt trow we of some that Ministers maintenance is meer almes and that in iustice and as due they can challenge nothing for their labour in the word and doctrine 1 Where then is Paules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his right lawful power and authoritie to receaue maintenance from the people v. 4 2 How saith our Saviour they are worthie of their hire a Luk 9 7. Paule worthy of double honour b 1. Tim 5.17 3 What great thing was this that Paule did in taking no maintenance ver 12.15 By these mens divinitie he had right to none 2 And what ods is there betwixt this beggerly conclusion of those old beggers and that of late separats that make it Christs ordinance for Ministers to liue of their peoples voluntary contribution and hold it as Christs owne Canon that no set maintenance shoulde be allotted vs no not by humane ordinance but the people left at liberty to giue or not to giue to giue much or little otherwise then selfe devotion shall incline them May I not say of this and the former as Ioseph of Pharaos dreames c Gen 41.25 the dreames are one Words onely haue made a variation Ministers must liue of the peoples voluntary contribution me thinkes I heare St Pauls tenour for almes d 2. Cor. 9.7 As every man wisheth in his heart so let him giue Their reasons had need be pregnāt let vs view them 1. Forsooth the Apostles thus lived Resp J yeeld it of some of them yea sometimes made their own hands minister to their necessities why force they vs not to mechanicall trades For so lived some Apostles But 1 they had power to exact maintenance sith they had right e 1. Cor. 9.4 5 to haue it 2 Occasionall practise binds not to imitation but in occurrence of like occasions When scandall inforceth to forbeare exaction we will herein follow their holy example least by any meanes we hinder the Gospell ver 12. and farther then this their example vrgeth not Their second reason is this because it must be seene that what the people giue this way they giue of loue not for feare of the law Resp and it must bee seene
ordinance at large but the ordinance for Levi only I answere 2. that by as good inference they may proue reverence obedience defence of Ministers ceremonious duties inasmuch as even these also belonged to Levites for their service in the tabernacle For why must Israelits giue Levites honour obedience singular loue c but for their worke sake And what was their worke But their service in the tabernacle So that now our people owe vs no more honour obedience loue c. ſ 1 Thes 5 12 13. Heb. 13.17 for our worke sake as it is prescribed For these all belonged to Levites for their service in the tabernacle which was ceremonious Briefly they were given to Levites for their service in the tabernacle non quâ tabernaculi but quâ service And therefore before tabernacle erected they were paide to Priests Gen. 14. 3. Was the whole service of the tabernacle ceremonious Nay were not some maine parts of it apparently morall What thinke we of teaching the people t 2. Chr. 17.9 Act 15.21 Nehe. 8.3.6.7 8. of Reading the scriptures and giving sense of praising God Were not these parts of tabernacle service And had not the Levites maintenaunce for these as well as for slaying sacrifices Surely if this be the best and clearest reasons against tithing I must needes professe they are so farre from making me doubt of my conclusion that they rather stablish my iudgment therin And these are all the arguments I haue yet heard vrged by men of any iudgement against the necessitie of paying tithes One other only which seculars vse I will annexe that is drawne from a perilous inconvenience ensuing vpon this doctrine What is it Forsooth if tithes belōg to Ministers are payable to them only according to the word of God it wil come to passe that a Ministers portion shall exceed the allowance of two or three of his wealthiest parishioners But that I tell you is a shrewd inconvenience Resp A mischiefe which I wonder the Lord in his endlesse wisdome never bethought himselfe to prevent amongst the Israelits The Levites though according to the generall division of Israell by tribes they were but a twelfth or thirteenth part yet according to exact number of persons reckoned by polles were scarce the sixtith part of the people The number of the people without the Levites amounted to u Num. 1.46 sixe hundred and three thousands fiue hundred fifty to which if we adde their old men and al from vnder twenty yeares amongst them which came not into the first number x Numb 1.3 allowing but double so many for thē they arise to about a thousand thousands and three hūdred thousands Now the Levites numbred from the infant to the old man were found but two and twenty thousands only y Num. 3 39. and that is not aboue the sixtith part of the people Yet see the Lord allots them the tenth of all the increase of the land besides share in oblations z Num. 35 4.7 things consecrate by vow and 48. citties with suburbs of so large circuit that according to Hieromes measure of the land exceeded the portion of any other tribe in Israell It s marvell none woulde vndertake to be the Lords Counsellour and to tel him such large allowance might make Levites prowde and lazy But this large portion to the Lord seemed no inconvenience howe seemes it so to vs in Ministers of the Gospell Againe how fals it that to other orders rankes of men as lawyers gentles c. their portions exceeding by more then fourths the portions of others are not maligned the Ministers of all other should bee subiect to envie Lastly how is it that men in their own though far larger portion know no measure but adde continually thousands to hundreds and as Agars horsleach crie giue giue and as the graue knowe no measure of desiring yet of a ministers stipend of fiftie or an hundred pounds cry Sufficit It s enough and too much What I wonder is that great service these men performe so over acceptable to God or profitable vnto men aboue the worke of a minister that they should thinke themselues worthy of all whatsoever by a vijs modis they can scrape togither and yet to ministers for their work sake hardly beteeme double honour in proportion to the meane wealthy amongst their people Tempora Tēpora how are yee turned But I conclude Sith Tithes belong to Christs priesthood sith no other certainety allotted to Ministers in scriptures sith detainement is sacrilege sith tithing no ceremony nor particularly Iudiciall sith confirmed by consent and practise of the Church in all times lastly which is not the least sith reasons against it are of so no force as wee haue seene therefore tithes are the portion due to Ministers for their service in the Gospell Conclusion What now remaines but to admonish such as feare God to deliver their soules from the guilt of so fowle a sinne as is this of sacrilege Why hang yee vp theeues that steale from men oft times but as Salomon saith a Prov. 6.30 to satisfie their owne soules and liue your selues in opē b Mal. 3.8 robbery of God himselfe Far be it from mee to multiply sins or to cast vnnecessary scruples into the consciences of Gods people But faine J would knowe for my learning of such as are so loth in this point to wound consciences alas how senselesse and fleshed in sacrilege where God hath ever legitimated sacrilege or made it lawfull vnder the new Testament to alienate from him things consecrated to his worship when turned the truth of that sentence into a lie c Prov. 20.25 Rom. 2. Act. 5.1.3 It is a sinne to devoure holy things and after the vow to enquire Nay the Lord it seemes hath written it in the hearts of Naturalists with the point of a Diamond howsoever some mens simple or wilful ignorāce or impious profanenes or insatiable covetousnes seemes to detain this point of truth d Rom. 1.58 as many other in vnrighteousnes Whē Nabuchadnezzar had surprised the temple seized the sacred vessels appointed to Gods worship in the middest of sacriledge he feares to be sacrilegious and therfore e Dan. 1.2 brings them to the house of his Gods supposed by him to bee the only true Gods Infinite I might be in propounding the sentences and censures that heathen passed vpon this point of impietie And is there any man can doubt whither detainement of tithes be sacriledge or not Shape to they selfe a description of sacriledge with any sound limits determining its nature and see whither vnder it fals not the detainement of tithes I beseech you therefore suffer the words of exhortation Giue Caesar Caesars and God that which is Gods Neede I I thinke to presse it by reasons Not sure if the belly had eares But sweete sinnes are the dangerous sinnes because for the most part incorrigible begetting in most either