Believers may not be thought to be gotten by the Power of man but by the Teaching of God Christ sent his Apostles saith Chrysostom as the Sun sends out his Rayes as the Rose sends out its sweet Odour as the Fire disperses its Sparks If you do not firmly believe saith Zuinglius that you may be taught of God without the teachings of men you are without true Faith De veritate verbi Christ said unto his Disciples Pray the Lord of the Harvest that he will send forth Labourers into his Harvest Mat. 9.38 He bad them not have recourse unto Schools and Colledges to natural Languages Arts and Sciences but to the Lord of the Harvest no other Fountain nor Well-spring he commended them to but to the Lord of the Harvest So the qualifying and sending of Gospel Ministers is the Lords Prerogative Royal. Fulke Augustin Marlorat Poole Bishop Jewel and many more which might be mentioned say on this Scripture That Ministers of the Gospel are sent of the Lord and are furnished and qualified by him for that Work and that all others are Intruders as Christ sent the Twelve so he sent the Seventy Luke 10. He said to his Disciples As my Father hath sent me even so send I you John 20.21 Bishop Vsher in Vindication of the Waldenses by way of Apology said God did chuse Fishermen that so he might not give his Glory to another the little Ones that asked Bread received the same but the Learned being busied about vain Contentions and Disputations were sent empty away Further Christ after his Resurrection bad his Disciples Wait for the Promise of the Father saying Ye shall receive Power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the outermost part of the Earth Acts 1.4 8. So that their Witness-bearing was an Effect of the Lords heavenly Appearance in them and among them And who run without this relying on their stock of Natural Tongues Heathen Arts and Sciences they will be found false Witnesses Without the concurrence of Spiritual Aid saith Spark the King 's Chapline the rarest Orators are but as sounding Brass and tinkling Cimbals Christ's Disciples were unlearned men but he gifted them and made them learned in Spiritual Learning before he sent them abroad insomuch that the Rulers Elders Scribes High Priest c. marvelled at the boldness of Peter and John perceiving that they were unlearned and ignorant men and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts 4.13 As Bishop Jewel said of Councils God is able not only without Councils but also against Councils both to defend and to enlarge his Kingdom in Apol. So I say Christ the same yesterday to day and forever is able to qualifie and accomplish and doth qualifie and accomplish for the Ministry such as are his Ministers without sending them to the bitter Waters of Heathen Wisdom Heathen Learning 'T is Heathen not Christian Education I speak against Further the Apostles chusing seven Deacons we read not that they enquired for men profound in Heathen Arts and Sciences but for men of Honest Report full of the holy Ghost and Wisdom Acts 6.3 So that the holy Spirit only qualified for that Work Paul was called of the Lord for the Gospel Ministry While untouched with the Finger of Heaven his Recourse was unto the High Priest to receive Commission from him but after the heavenly Touch his Cry was Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. While he had nothing but what he received at the Feet of Gamaliel he ran a fierce Carreer saith one to the zenith of Persecution at length a heavenly Siste gradum Saule caused him to run Retrograde and in his Apology before King Agrippa he ascribes his Call not to Gamaliel but to the Lord Acts 26. Acts 20. Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3.5 6. A Call saith Aug. Marl. cannot be lawfull except it be of God As for Bishops Gospel-Bishops they are called of the Lord therefore Paul said Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock over the which the holy Spirit hath made you Over-seers that is Bishops Acts 20.28 They are made such truly such by the holy Spirit Aug. Marl. testifies the very same Now if any bear that Name or pretend that Office without the Spirit such are Aposcopi saith Espeusaus rather than Episcopi By-seers rather than Over-seers Further Paul called of the Lord bare this Testimony saying How shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 Aug. Marl. said on this place This is spoken against them who go to the Ministry without a Call who run not being sent hereupon they do no good what they do 't is for their Belleys sake not for the Glory of God Poole on the same place speaks to the same purpose Further Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians said When he ascended up on High he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry Ephes 4. So that Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers Bishops Elders Deacons as truly such are qualified by the Gift of the Lord not by Natural Tongues Heathen Arts Sciences Endowments Accomplishments though Tongues may be and are useful in their place Gave Gifts to men saith the Apostle the Hebrew Psalmist hath it Psal 68.18 Thou received Gifts for men Christ received them that he might give them Gave Gifts to men the Psalmist adds Even to the Rebellious The Rebellious have a Gift to lead them out of the state of Rebellion or to leave them inexcusable if they continue therein Paul to Timothy and Titus setting down the required Qualifications of Bishops and Deacons mentions no Mathematicks Logicks Spoiling Philosophy but Gravity Blamelesness Sobriety Justice Holiness Temperance c. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Were such men taken into holy Orders saith the Author of the Book called The Naked Truth and constituted Pastors the Church of Christ would be better edified though Plato Aristotle Euclid Scotus Aquinas were never known to them the holy Sciptures are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus If so why are Heathen Philosophers so much doted upon And all Scripture is given by the Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be Perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work 2 Tim. 3. Mark throughly furnished without Logick Spoiling Philosophy Pagan Ethicks Physicks Metaphysicks School-Divinity If throughly furnished without these what need of these The Ministerial Office may be better performed saith the Author by Grave and Conscientious men though they never saw University nor know any Language but their Mother-Tongue than by any Aristotelist Scotist Aquinatist with their knacks of Quiddities Qualities Syllogisms Enthimems Distinctions
are Witnesses against the same Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake 1 Pet. 2.13 I Answer If Obedience should have been given to all Ordinances of men without limitation Idolatrouâ— Consequences would have followed as Histories Ecclesiastical and Civil inform us Then had the Children of Israel been oftner found guilty of Idolatry through actual Obedience to the apostatized Kings of Israel and Judah Then had Shadrach Meshach and Abednego forsaken the living God and have worshipped the Golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar Then had Daniel committed Idolatry in making his application to the Heathen King Darius instead of the living God Then had the pure Current of the everlasting Gospel been stopped For the Apostles were commanded not to teach in the Name of Jesus Acts 4. Then had not the Woman that fate upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast been made drunk with the Blood of Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus For if these Saints and Martyrs had and should yield actual Obedience to the Ordinances of men they had and should cut off the occasion of Suffering for their Testimonies Then had not the two Witnesses Prophesied one Thousand two Hundred and Sixty Days cloathed in Sack-cloth I say Obedience is to be given to those Ordinances of man for the Lords sake which are of a Civil nature and concern for the punishment of Evil-doers and for the Praise of them that do well but when Civil Authority usurps the Power of Christ the Law-giver to of and in the Church and imposes Laws and Ordinances contrary to Truth and Conscience herein not active but passive Obedience is to be yielded The said Peter clears this point who the Rulers commanding them not to teach in the Name of Jesus answered boldly to this purpose They were to hearken to God rather then to men Acts 4. On this Scripture our Country-man Poele saith well We are bound by the Command of God to speak what we have seen and heard yea and the truly re-born of Water and of the Spirit are to contend for the Call Work and Wage of the Primitive Ministry when men do or would set up the contrary Polyearpus in the Morning of Christianity said We have learned to give that Honour to earthly Powers which is meet and which hinders not our Salvation Musonius said well If any one obey not his Father or his Prince commanding unlawful things he is neither Disobedient nor Injurous nor a Sinner herein When Julian gave orders to his Souldiers that were Christians to take up Arms against Christians they would not obey as Ambrose hath related Oh that the Professors of Christianity now would consider this How far they are degenerated how the Spirit oâ— Meekness Love and Gentlâ—ness is dis-throned and the Spirit of Envy Cruelty and Bloodshed is inthroned wherein such as profess Christianity fall by the Hands of one another as Leaves from Trees at the approach of Autumn Now you that reject and dispute against the Evangelical Ordinance of free and voluntary Contribution and violently intrude the Co-ercive exaction of Tythes and other things and that from the Laws Canons Decrees Decretals and Constitutions of men let me in soberness Reason a little with you Jacob in the Word of Prophecy fore-told of the coming of Shiloh saying Vnto him shall the gathering of the People be Gen. 49.10 Or as some render it To him shall the Obedience of the People be Or as the Septuagint renders it He shall be the expectation of the Nations Now you that plead for Tythes in Gospel-days and that from the Ordinances of man your gathering is not unto Shiloh nor your Obedience neither is your reliance upon him but your gathering and obedience is unto man your reliance is upon the Sons of men from whom you have your Tythes Easter-Reckonings Midsummer-Dues Mortuaries Money for Funeral Sermons Burials Marriages Churching of Women Peter-Pence now called Reek-pennies Smoke-pennies c. Again Moses the man of God Prophesied of the coming of the great Prophet saying Vnto him shall you hearken in all things Deut. 18. who taught a free and voluntary Maintenance Now the before-mentioned things shew that you hearken not to him but to the Canons Constitutions Decrees and Decretals of men from whom you have received your manner of Maintenance Again Christ said Learn of me Matth. 11. But he giving no Lessons for the aforesaid you have learned them of men and plead for the same Again Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisees In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men Matth. â—5 9 You are found in their Steps vain Worshippers making void the Gospel-Ordinance of free and voluntary Contribution preaching up the Commands Canons Decrees Constitutions of men from which muddy Lake you derive your Tythes and compulsary Maintenance Again Christ sending forth his Disciples said Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Matth. 28. Consider this they were to teach all that Christ commanded them and nothing else not what apostatized Powers should command or impose Here the Decrees Canons Laws and Constitutions of men setting up that which Christ put an end unto and forcing a Maintenance are excluded Again the Apostle Paul preached that Christ should have Preeminence in all things Col. 1.18 If in all things then in the concern of the Maintenance of the Gospel Ministry Now such as slight the free and voluntary Maintenance of the Gospel and plead for Tythes and a compulsary Maintenance such would have man to have Pre-eminence such are Ministers of man Christ said to the Jews If you were of Abraham you would do the Works of Abraham So may I say If you were of Christ you would do the Works of Christ and be content with his allowance John bare record saying Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God 2 John 9. And such as are without God they are Hetrodox Heretical yea Atheistical and such as stand to man's Maintenance and not Christ's they are in Transgression Did not Christ say that all Power in Heaven and in Earth was committed to him Is not he indued with Soveraign Power Was not he appointed of the Father to be Law-giver to of and in the Church Did not Paul foretell of a departure from the Faith an Apostacy and that the man of Sin should be revealed that he should sit in the Temple of God in the Church and shew himself to be God This is the great Antichrist Now they that deny the Gospel-Ordinance which was free and voluntary and plead for Tythes and for a compulsary Maintenance introduced by man such deny Christ to be Law-giver to of and in the Church And what is that Spirit that introduces a Maintenance contrary to the Gospel-Maintenance Of the man of Sin of Antichrist who is against Christ his Call Work and Wage and hath a Call Work and Wage of his own Do
receive any thing by way of Bargain or yearly Stipend in so doing he is a Schismatick and accursed 3dly That if we be bound to pay Tythes in Gospel times then are we Debtors to keep the whole Law for he that was the End of one part was the end of the whole 4thly Seeing that neither Christ nor any of his Apostles commanded to pay Tythes 't is manifest and plain that neither by the Law of Moses nor by the Law of Christ Christians are bound to pay Tythes but by mans Traditions Fox Acts and Mon. A Sound Testimony and true but opposed by Man made Ministers About the year 1431. Lodovicus a man much praised for Constaney and Wisdom said to the Clergy If you were true Bishops and true Pastors of Souls you would not doubt to put your Lives in hazard for your Sheep neither be afraid to shed your Blood for the Church in the Cause of Christ but at this present saith he 't is too rare to find a Prelate which doth not prefer his Temporalities before his Spiritualities with the Love whereof they are so withdrawn that they study rather to please Princes than God c. Aen. Syl. his History of the Council of Basil Pareus speaking of the drying up the River Euphrates brings in the judgment of his Anonymus that is Nameless Author which he approves of which is That the preaching of the Gospel doth shall cause men to take away all Temporal Things that is Possessions and Earthly Dominion from the Clergy and they shall no more be given them Herein I accord with him that as far as the Virtue and Power of the Gospel truly renews transforms and changes men so far 2 Faithfull and Living Testimony shall be born to the Free and Voluntary Maintenance of the Gospel and against the Antichristian Maintenance by Tythes and other Groundless Scriptureless Co-ercive Maintenance Truth prevailing this shall be scoured away It is against the holy Scripture saith Wickliff for Church-men to have Possessions Gerardus Sagarellus who lived before Wickliff's time denyed a divine Right to Tythes in Gospel days Erasmus boldly affirmed That the common exacting of Tythes by the Clergy in his Time was no better than Tyranny In Augustin's time it was no general Law nor Custom in the Church that Tythes should be paid Willet's Synopsis of Popery When the Disciples saith Walter Brute said to Christ Behold we have left all and have followed thee what shall we have He answered not thus Tythes shall be paid you neither did he promise them a Temporal but an Everlasting Reward in Heaven for Food and Apparel he taught his Disciples not to be careful Paul right-well remembring his Doctrine gave Timothy this Instruction Having Food and Rayment let us therewith be content Fox Acts and Mon. Primitive Non-payment of Tythes saith one is a pregnant Argument that they did not understand Tythes to be appointed by Christ for his Ministers He that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many Stripes Had it been saith Selden of Tythes the Apostles Ordinance or the Use of the Church in the Primitive Times Origen Tertullian and Cyprian could not have been so silent in it Is it likely saith he that all the old Councils from thence till near six Hundred Years after Christ which have special Canons for the Lands and Goods possest by the Church c. could have omitted the Name of Tenths if either such Use or Apostolical Law had preceeded Some of the aforesaid for their Testimony against Tythes as against other Errors Heresies Superstition and Idolatry of Italian Babylon suffered in Flames as Histories demonstrate To draw to a Conclusion By what hath been said 't is apparent to all seeing Eyes that according to Christ's Doctrine the Apostles were not to receive any thing but from such as received them and their Doctrine from such as reaped their Spiritual Things But now all that are found within the Limits Precincts Bounds of such or such a Parish first set up by the Pope and his Emissaries after ratified by Earthly Princes whether Believers or Unbelievers Prophane Schismaticks Hereticks Excommunicated Persons yea such as they 'l Curse and give up to Satan of these they 'l have Tythes Easter-Reckonings Midsummer-Dues Mortuaries Oblations Smoke-Money which they claim as Due being introduced by Apostatized men bringing for a Cloak He that preaches the Gospel must live of the Gospel when as the Gospel warrants no such thing In the Apostles time they had places of Worshop where Jews gathered from Jewdaism and Gentiles from Gentilism met together to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth yet no man was limitted to this or that Place nor to pay to such or such a Place or minister so much per annum these Anti-evangelical Antichristian Customs crawled out of the Apostolical Womb Honorius who succeeded Austin at Canterbury about the Year 630. divided his Province into Parishes as Selden of Tythes chap. 9. saith THE END
Error Heresie and Traditions are excluded Augustin Marlorat said on this place Christ sent out his Apostles with this Exception That they should not press upon others their own Inventions but that they should purely and faithfully distribute what he commanded that they should gather Disciples unto him not unto themselves Yea and Poole our Country-man saith on this place Christ commands no other thing to be taught than what he had commanded hereby excluding the Traditions and Inventions of Apostatised Men. Paul said to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God Acts 20.27 So Ministers of Christ are to teach the Will and Counsel of God not their own But Man-made Ministers are guilty in this case who neither know the Call nor do the Work nor are content with the Wage of Gospel Ministers though for Lueres sake they are pretenders thereof Paul writing to the Saints at Ephesus mentions the Work and End of the true Ministry saying When Christ ascended he gave Gifts unto men to Apostles to Prophets to Evangelists to Pastors to Teachers To what end were these Gifts given For the Perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body till we all come in the unity of the Faith c. unto a Perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ Ephes 4. Yea and the Apostle writing unto the Hebrews mentions their precious Growth and high Attainment in the Life of Righteousness saying Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the First Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect Heb. 12. Now Man made Ministers deny Perfection in this Life so deny the end of the Ministry of the truly Gifted Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers Yea and they exclude themselves from the precious Attainments of the believing Hebrews Yea and they deny the Substance of the Aaronical Vrim and Thummius What is that Aaron was to have a Breast-plate of Judgment in which was put the Vrim and Thummim by Interpretation Light and Perfection or Lights and Perfections Exod. 28.15 30. A Type fulfilled in the Substance Christ Jesus This implies that in the Evangelical Dispensation the Breast-plate of Righteousness with Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection should be received Christ the Breast-plate of Judgment and Righteousness the Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection said to his Disciples Be ye Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Mat. 5.48 Yea and the Apostles having received the Breast-plate of Righteousness the Urim and Thummim Spiritually Light and Perfection they preached Perfection as before is touched So that Urim and Thummim spiritually that is Light and Perfection was witnessed and preached in the Morning beauty and purity of the Evangelical Dâ—spensation Now the Aaronical Urim and Thummim were lost in the Babylonian Captivity Ezra 2. So after the Apostles dayes the Star fallâ—ng from Heaven such a weight of Smoke evaporated out of the Bottomless Pit as that it darkned Sun and Air so spoiled the Glory of the Primitive Church as that the Christian Church became Babylon Mystery Babylon In this Babylon spiritual Captivity the heavenly Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection was lost and the Smoke of the Pit during this Captivity was and is preached up for Gospel Truths Nehemiah foretold the Restoration of the Aaronical Vrim and Thummim Nehem. 7. So Christ Jesus the Son of Righteousness the heavenly Nehemiah by interpretation The Consolation of the Lord by the Breath of his Mouth and by the Brightness of his Coming is chasing away Smoke out of a Remnant the Carnal Exhalations of Mystery Babylon and the Spirit of Life from God is entring into Witnesses and the true Breast-plate of Judgment with Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection is restored and restoring Now the Locusts Man-made Ministers which come out of the Smoke are bred and formed in the Smoke of Earthly Wisdom they cannot endure to hear of the finding of them plainly discovering they want the Breast-plate of Righteousness for where it is Urim and Thummim Light and Perfection is witnessed and contended for The Dispariety of the Ministers of Christ and of such as come by the Will of Man in several Particulars 1. Christ's Ministers were not to be called Rabbi Masters he forbad it they were Obedient Paul called himself a Servant but never pleaded for Mastership James Peter and Jude stiled themselves Servants but no where Masters Mat. 23.8 James 3.1 Zuinglius on Mat. 23. said Thou hears here that the Titles of Masters and Doctors are not of God because Christ forbids this thing Further Wilson in his Christian-Dictionary said That Ambitious seeking after Titles ought to be eschewed But Man made Ministers plead for the Title of Rabbi Masters having let in the Poyson of Ambition Pride and Arrogancy 2. The Apostles preached against such as were in the Way of Cain and in the Error of Balaam affecting Gifts and Rewards 2 Pet. 2.15 Jude 11. The Apostles walked not in the Wayes of these Now Man-made Ministers shew themselves to be in the Way of Cain Drunk with the Wine of Envy Murder Persecution in the Error of Balaam pursuing the Wages of Unrighteousness which Christ the Branch of Righteousness ordained not Suing men at Courts of Judicature Assizes in Courts Temporal and Ecclesiastical Imprisoning men neither sparing their own Flocks nor others not content with Gospel Maintenance taking Money for Funeral Sermons taking or forcing Mortuaries Smoke-Money Money for Churching of Women for burying the Dead for Bread and Wine Easter-Reckonings Midsummer-Dues making their Gospel chargeable Are not these Hearts exercised with Covetous Practices 3. Paul preached That the true Church was in God made up of Living Stones fitted prepared polished for their Places in that heavenly Building offering up a Spiritual Sacrifice 1 Thes 1.1 1 Pet. 2. But Man-made Ministers have taught and do teach That a House of Lime and Stone is the Church founded by Papists for the Popish Service and such as deny their Doctrine herein are branded aâ— Heretical Schismatical Heterodox 4. The Apostles preached God to be the Word and that it became Flesh by it the Prophets prophesied it grew and multiplied John 1.1 14. Acts 12.24 Man-made Ministers say The Scriptures are the Word The Scriptures were not in the Beginning it became not Flesh it was not the Ground of the Prophets prophecying Such as got the Scriptures without the Word such ran unsent The Scriptures contained in the Bible grow not 't is no greater now than a Thousand Years ago is not the Saviour 't is a true Declaration of the Engrafted Word which is able to save the Soul Luke 1.1 James 1.21 5. The Ministers of Christ preached up Christ to