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A77137 A defence and justification of ministers maintence by tythes. And of infant-baptism, humane learning, and the sword of the magistrate; which some Anabaptists falsely call four sandy pillars, and popish foundations of our ministry and churches. In which tythes are proved to be due by divine right to the ministers of the gospel. All common objections answered, and divers cases of conscience humbly proposed: with a light to clear them. / In a reply to a paper sent by some Anabaptists to Immanuel Bourne, late pastor of the church in Asheover in the county of Derby: now preacher to the congregation at Waltham in the county of Leicester. With a short answer to Anthony Peirson's great case of tythes, &c. Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672. 1659 (1659) Wing B3851; Thomason E1907_1 92,679 184

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Anabaptists Answer This is Humane Learning Take away that say you which you h●d at Cambridge and Oxford and then you have no Ministers but Lay-men might preach as well as you Mr. Bourns Reply For Reply 1. Do not you make use of Humane Learning your selves Whence had you your words of Art Scholastical Logistical Sophistical Had you them by immediate revelation or were taught them by some Apostate Phygellus 2 Tim. 1.15 that went out from among us Or did you learn them from Books certain then this was humane Learning How came you to so many Ergo's ten or eleven one after another was not this by Humane Learning do not you make use of humane Learning How was the Bible translated into our English Tongue Was it not by men and do not you read and write as you were taught Now if you make use of Humane Learning your selves why are we no Ministers because we make use of Humane Learning Mat. 7.12 Do as you would be done by and let us have the same liberty you practise your selves this is fair dealing and Christian-like 2. Again do ye find so much fault with us because we have been at Oxford or Cambridge It seemeth I fear that Oxford and Cambridge are great beams in your eyes you cannot but stumble at the glorious University-Libraries and fair Colledges and envy that poor Scholars should by the charity and piety of so many Honourable and Honoured Founders and Benefactors receive maintenance to nourish them in the studies of Humane Learning as if Divine Learning were not by Gods blessing attained there as well as Humane I hope you are not like those wicked men against whom the Palmist prayeth so earnestly Psal 83.8 9 10 11. which said Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession I would not have you nor any other to be of that mind least that dreadful curse fall upon you or them which is there mentioned lest God do unto you as unto the Midianites to Sisera and Jabin who perished at Endor and became as dung for the earth But I hope better things of some of you and such as accompany salvation as the Apostle did of those to whom he wrote Heb. 6.9 though errour for a time hath deceived you And let me tell you I deny that humane Learning is a Popish Foundation except you will make Popery to be as old as Moses who was brought up with humane learning for he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7.22 and that many hundreds I may say some thousand of years before there was any antichristian Pope in the world And blessed Paul the Apostle was no doubt endowed with Humane Learning as before we have shewed by his skill in the Greek Heathen Poets which he alledgeth and brought up at the feet of Gamaliel as himself confesseth Acts 22.3 And this Six hundred years before that great antichrist the Pope who first took upon him the proud Title of Universal Bishop did arise Pope Boniface Read the History of the Church and you may find it But why are you so angry at Humane Learning which as well as you can you make so much use of your selves as we have fully proved before Why do you charge us that our Church and Ministry are antichristian and to be separated from because we make some use of Humane Learning because we make use of some arguments and consequences from holy Scripture to confirm the Truths we maintain and the ancient Faith once delivered to the Saints we contend for and to overthrow your errours What! Is every Church and Ministry builded upon a sandy Pillar and Popish Foundation and to be separated from as antichristian which maketh use of Humane Learning Will not this argument prove against your selves pull away your sandy pillars and pull down your house and Castle of errours upon your own heads If it be lawfull for you to use Ergo's and consequences let me give you one Argum. Take it thus No Church or Teacher that stands upon or maketh use of the sandy pillar or popish foundation of humane learning to uphold their Doctrine and Church are a true Church of Chirst or true Teachers or members of any Church of Christ but of antichrist and to be separated from as from antichrist and Babylon it self But the Church of John D●rker and Toby Watson or at least John and Toby yea many more of their Opinion as Learned Mr. John Tombes Mr. Benjamin Cox Henry Haggar and John Gosnold and divers others yea the thirty Congregations of your Society no doubt make use of Humane Learning as is evident in divers of their Books as I have declared already you do in your Paper sent to me witnesse your Terms of art Consequence and Ergo's Therefore the Church of John Darker and To●ya●atson of Mr. Tombes Mr. Cox Henry Haggar John Gosnold and your Thirty Congregations are no true Churches of Christ nor John nor To●y nor any of the rest true Teachers of Christ but antichristian and to be separated from as from antichrist and Babylon it self This is a consequence from your own premises The first Proposition is yours in substance in your Declaration sent to me of your grounds of separation The second is evident in your practise in your paper you sent me making use of consequences and Latine Ergo's to maintain the practise of your Church and to oppose ours And the conclusion necessarily followes far better than the consequences you bring to prove Infant-children of believing Parents no Disciples of Christ nor members of the Church For the Universities G. N. Orat 3. the Learned tell us that it was the plot of that wicked Apostate Emperour Julian by a publick Edict to put down the Schools where the children of Christians were to be educated that he might more easily have put down Christianity it self for which Gods just judgment overtook him and dying he cried out that Jesus of Galilee had got the victory as elsewhere we have noted Certain it is the design of the subtil Jesuite carried on by Quakers some Anabaptists and Familists to cry down Universities Humane Learning and Ministers that they might more easily bring us back to the bondage of Popery blind Superstition and antichristian Tyranny And too many weak souls without question are in this the servants of antichrist ignorantly Job 42.6 which if they understood what they did would bewail their ignorance and repent in dust and ashes But for Humane Learning we do not make that to be the foundation either of our Church or Ministry as you falsly accuse us but the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the chief corner stone upon which the Church is builded Witnesse Christ himself Mat. 16.17 18. and the blessed Apostle Paul Eph. 2.20 Yet we may tell you it is lawful for us to make use of Humane Learning and it is necessary for us since by the confusion of
Christ and the Petitions delivered to many Parliaments by that Generation of men poor deceived souls confirm this to the full But the Lord hath yet put it into the heart of the Parliament not to destroy but to defend the Faithful and Godly Ministers of the Gospel and their just Maintenance established both by the Laws of God and the Land for which let us praise God and pray to the Lord still to be so present with them as to guide and rule their hearts that our wise Senatours may rather establish and increase the maintenance of the Godly and Faithful Ministers of Christ in the Nation than take away or diminish any part of it for this will be not only for the honour of the Parliament but for the Glory of God and good of the Nation whatsoever seduced Spirits would perswade to the contrary for whom let us pray as Christ did for his Persecutors Father forgive them they know not what they do And my beloved Brethren let us who are the Lords remembrancers give God no rest nor day nor night till he establish his Gospel and Faithful Ministers and their just maintenance and by enabling us by the assistance of his blessed Spirit to perform constantly our duties in our several places that his and our Jerusalem may be made a praise in the earth But if our adversaries the adversaries of the Gospel should prevail against us all should be taken away though they cannot take Christ away nor Heaven away Let us labour to live by Faith and depend upon God who hath provided for many of us when we had lost all preserved our lives when we were in eminent dangers and will preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom In the mean time Honoured and Reverend Brethren let us labour by wisdom and power from Christ to fulfil our Ministry which we have received from the Lord to preach the Word in season and out of season to Catechise and instruct our people in the first Principles of the Oracles of God and this both publickly and from house to house often to confer with them and to build them up and confirm them in the knowledge of Christ that if it please God they may know the Lord as the truth is in Jesus that they may walke as becometh the Gospel of Christ and manifest the truth of their Faith by fruitfulnesse in all good works that they and we may by our holy and righteous lives put to silence the malevolent spirits of all our adversaries and bring forth abundantly like trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that God may be glorified And for our selves especially let us by the Grace of God endeavour the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and although our light be not equal in all respects yet let it be far from us by our divisions to rent in pieces the seamlesse coat of our Lord and Saviour but rather in love enlighten and by our frequent communion strengthen one another that though they speak evil of us as the wicked and deceived souls have done of the Prophets and Apostles yea of Christ himself yet seeing our holy lives faithful performance and discharge of our duties in our Ministerial Office they may be convinced and glorifie God in the day of visitation knowing that if we fight the good fight of Faith and keep the Faith and be faithful to the death there is laid up for us the Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give us at that day and not to us only but to all them that love the Lord Jesus and wait for his appearing Which that we may persevere to do and enjoy is the most humble hearty and daily prayer of London June 18 1659. Your most unworthy Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the work of Christ Immanuel Bourne A Defence Justification OF Ministers Maintenance by Tythes Humane Learning Infant Baptism and The Sword of the Magistrate In a Reply to the Answer of some Anabaptists or Antipedobaptists Declaring their Grounds of Separation For John Darker and Tobias Watson and the Thirty Congregations of Antipedobaptists The blessing of Truth with freedom from Errors and false foundations if it be the will of God in Christ Jesus FRIENDS FOr so I desire you may be in and for Christ hoping better things of some of you and such as accompany salvation although for the present too many of you appear to be Adversaries if not Enemies to the Truth of the Gospel and to the Godly faithful Ministers of Christ in England and in other parts of the Christian world Unto the Paper I sent Novemb. 11. 1658. unto one of you living within the limits of the Town and amongst the People to whom God in his Providence hath called me to preach the Gospel I received your Answer in writing Decemb. 8. in one sheet of paper with a Confession of thirty Congregations and I conceive you have consulted with your Church as you esteem it and other Congregations of your opinions to give answer unto my Demands and it was my desire you should so do that I might know your strongest Arguments or Grounds of your Separation from our Reformed and Reforming Congregations that if it be the will of God I might convince you by the help of the Spirit of Truth of the weakness and error of your Grounds and your eyes might be enlightned to see you have been deceived and now be per●waded to return and joyn with our Reformed and Reforming Congregations for your edification in the Truth of the Gospel and good of your Souls which I pray for And friends I have read your Answer and am sorrowful to see such pride of spirit self-conceit and vain boasting That your foundation-principles of the Church of God as you esteem your selves have Scripture proof as clear as the Sun at noon day without the help of Consequences or Illustrations with such rash censurings and uncharitable unchristian expressions telling me I alledge Scripture out of ignorance or weakness and that I am like the Tempter who brought Scripture against Christ and that the old Romish principle groweth still in the hearts of many of us to make Reason to be our Rule and cast away the Scriptures And your comparing me to Popish D. Story in his plea against Philpot the Martyr But whether your vain boasting be a truth or falshood Thil. 1.27 and whether your rash censurings and unchristian charge be as becometh the Gospel of Christ I leave to God and your own better enlightned consciences to judge and the Christian Reader to consider Anabaptists Answ First you say You have received some lines of my writing which I sent you upon the Eleventh of Novemb. and having weighed them in the ballance of the Sanctuary you find them very light Mr. Bour●● Reply To which I reply Certainly you were mistaken it was not the Ballance of the Sanctuary in which you weighed my lines for God requireth his people should have
all It is Christ's priviledge to receive tythes not to pay tythes therefore Melchisedec's and Christ's Priesthood is far more excellent then Aaron's or Levi's Priesthood or their order Fourthly The Apostle taketh another Argument from the Law of Ordination of each Priesthood Melchisedec's and Aaron's and so of Christ's and Aarons This vers 15 16 17. Because Christ who ariseth another Priest after the order or similtude of Melchisedec he is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment the Levitical Law which is ended Psa 110.4 but after the power of an endless life Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melceisedec Therefore as Melchisedec did so doth and may Christ receive tythes for they are Gods part and Christ's part as Heir to God his Father and so tythes are rightly yea by Divine right due to Christ And thus you see there is nothing in the New Testament in all these places in which tythes are mentioned by which God the Father may be proved to have given away tythes from Christ his Son the Lord of his Church and of his Servants in the Ministery of the Gospel nor in which Christ hath released his right to any or disposed of it to any but to his Ministers for their labor in his service in the Gospel Therefore whatsoever the erring Anabaptists or Quakers speak to the contrary to their seduced Disciples Tythes are the Lords still and will be to the end of the world But some Quakers or Anabaptists it may be will object further Object 4 If we grant that Tythes are the Lord Christs yet what proof is there that they are the Ministers of Christ now in the New Testament Christ doth not name Tythes with any command to give them to his Ministers and Ambassadors where find we any such thing in the New Testament I answer Answer Although Christ doth not name Tythes by a particular command to pay them to his Ministers yet he doth by himself and by his Spirit in the Apostles command as much in substance as if he had named Tythes or challenged his right in them for the maintenance of his servants in the work of the Gospel For first Mat. 10.7.8 Luk. 10.1 2 3.4 c. If we read the manner of Christs Commission or sending those his Disciples to preach the Gospel as it is recorded Mat. 10. and Luk. 10. Christ sends them forth as laborers into his harvest and he giveth them a charge to take no purse nor scrip nor silver nor brass no provisi on for maintenance but to eat and drink what was set before them and he giveth the reason For the laborer is worthy of his meat and worthy of his hire or reward for his labor Now I demand the Question Whose laborers are Christ Ministers are they not Christs and who should pay them their wages or give reward or maintenance for their labor in preaching and publishing the Gospel is it not Christ and out of whose substance or estate should Christ pay his Workmen is it not our of his own If not why then did not Christ give them provision with them when he sent them out to preach the Gospel but sends them to the people of the world many of which would not receive them and wisheth them to receive of the people whither they came for their maintenance Certainly it is not that Christ would take any thing from others that was none of his own to pay his workmen with but to teach us that Christ had a part a portion and inheritance in the peoples hands the Tythes the Lords reserved part and out of this his own part Christ expected his Disciples his Preachers of the Gospel should be maintained and threatens those who should refuse to give his servants entertainment Luk. 10.11 If any receive you not saith Christ shake off the dust of your feet against them And it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that man or that woman or that city that refuseth Christs servants or denieth them that part which the Lord Christ appoints them for their just and due maintenance Witness our Saviour himself Luke 10.10 11. 2. Again Rom. 15.26 27. the Apostle Paul holdeth forth this as a duty That to those that communicate spiritual things it is the peoples duty to communicate carnal things to them Rom. 15.26 Thus between the Jews and the Gentile and thus between the Ministers of Christ and the people for the reason is the same The Ministers communicate spiritual things in the preaching of the Gospel therefore the people are debrors to them and it is their duty to communicate temporral or carnal things such as are for the comfortable livelihood of Christs Ministers And if it be the peoples duty then it is a debt they owe to Christ and to his servants and if they owe it to God and to Christ then it is Gods none of theirs And what is held forth to be Gods special part or portion for maintenance of his service and servants Mal. 3. Heb. 7. but the tenth part the Tythes which were and are Gods and Christs as noted before 3. The same Apostle A compatatis 1 Cor. 9 proveth by divers arguments from divers comparisons that there is a part due to Gods faithful Ministers laborers for Christ in the Gospel Thus vers 7. 1. From a Soldier 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 23. Jud. v. 4. And why noticceive their pay due from Christ for the same 1 Cor. 3.6 7. From a Soldier Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges Gods Ministers are soldiers for Christ to defend the truth of the Gospel against all enemies to contend for the faith once given to the Saints 2. Again Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Gods Ministers are planters And wherefore should they not eat of the fruit for their labor feed on Gods part which he hath reserved the Tythes for their maintenance 3. Act. 20 28 Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Gods Ministers are Shepherds and wherefore should they not eat of the milk of the Flock why should not Gods tenth be for their nourishment 4. The like arguments taken from the husbandman and other laborers and these grounded upon the law the law of God nature or reason vers 8 9. Say I these things of my self saith he saith not the law also the same For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corn Den. 25.4 1 Cor. 3.9 10. Doth God take care for oxen or saith he it altogether for our sates For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope Gods Ministers are Gods husbandmen and laborers Gods people are Gods husbandry And good reason Gods laborers should partake of the