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A26980
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One sheet for the ministry against the malignants of all sorts by Richard Baxter.
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Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.
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1657
(1657)
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Wing B1335; ESTC R13471
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14,605
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17
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One Sheet for the MINISTRY Against the MALIGNANTS Of all sorts By Richard Baxter LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons Book-seller in Kederminster Anno Dom. 1657. One Sheet for the Ministry Against the Malignants of all sorts AS mans first felicity was attended with the malice of the Serpent so is the wonderful work of his Restauration The promise of Reconciliation by the seed of the woman is joyned with a proclamation of open war with the Serpent and his seed The enmity was hottest in the Devil and his seed against Christ himself who bare and overcame it and is become the Captain of our salvation that his Church may overcome by his Cross and Strength and Conduct The next degree of malice is against his Officers the most eminent the General Officers had the hottest assault and his ordinary Officers bear the next That we shall be hated of all men for the Name of Christ Mat. 10. 22. is still verified to our experience Not only the openly prophane abâ—oâ—â—â— for our work-sake but fals-hearted professors that turn from the truth do presently turn Malignants against the Ministry and many weak ones that are better minded are dangerously seduced into a guilt of the sedition To all these I here proclaim in the name and word of the Lord Numb. 16. 26. Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins Which I shall now open to you 1. The office of the Ministry is an undoubted Ordinance of God to continue in the Church to the end of the world No man can pretend that they ceased with the Apostles for it is Gods will that ordinary fixed Presbyters shall be ordained in every Church Acts 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 2. And Pastors and Teachers are appointed for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man Ephes. 4. 11 12 13. A Ministry authorized to Disciple the Nations baptize and teach them is instituted by Christ as King and Saviour and have his Promise to be with them alway to the end of the world Matth. 28. 18 19 20. The same necessity and work continueth still souls are born and bred in darkness and how shall they be saved without believing or believe without hearing or hear without preaching or we preach without sending Rom. 10. 13 14 15. There is a clearer word in the Gospel for the Ministry then the Magistracy though enough for both Our own call I shall speak of anon 2. These Malignants set themselves against the Principal members of the Body of Christ that are in it as the eyes and hands to the natural body 1. Cor. 12. 16 19 27 29. Ephes. 4. 11 15. The Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. The Over seers of the flock that is purchased with Christs blood Acts 20. 28. They are the chief members 1. in Office 2. Ordinarily in gifts for edification of the body 3. And in Grace Now a wound in the stomack or liver is more mortal to the body then in the hand and the loss of an eye or hand is worse then the loss of an ear 3. These Malignants are therefore principally enemies to the Church it self They take on them to be only against the Ministers but it will prove most against the people and whole Church If they sinite the Shepherds the sheep will be scattered How can they more surely ruin Christs Family then by casting out the Stewards that must Rule and give the children their meat in due season even milk to the babes and stronger meat to them of full age Heb. 5. 12 13 14. Luke 12. 42. Mat. 24. 45. What readier way to ruine the Schools of Christ then by casting out the Teachers that he hath appointed under him Or to ruine his Kingdom then to reject his Officers Or to wrong the body then to cut off the hands and pull out the eyes or to destroy the principal parts Was it not Ministers that planted the Churches and converted the world and have ever born off the assaults of enemies where was there ever Church on earth that continued without a Minister The great Kingdom of Nubia fell from Christianity for want of Preachers The Nations that have the weakest and fewest Ministers have the least of Christianity and those that have the most and ablest Ministers have the most flourishing state of Religion All over the world the Church doth rise or fall with the Ministry Cut down the Pillars and the building falls He is blind that sees not what would become of the Church were it not for the Ministry Who should teach the ignorant or rebuke the obstinate explain the word of truth and stop the mouthes of proud gain-sayers What work would heresies and division and prophanness make if these banks were cut down when all that can be done is still too little It must needs therefore be meet enmity against the Church that makes men malignant against the Ministry 4. The design of the maligners of the Ministry is plainly against the Gospel and Christianity it self They take the readiest way in the world to bring in Heathenism Infidelity and Atheism which Christianity hath so far banished For it is the Ministry that Christ useth to bring in light and drive and keep out this damnable darkness Acts 26. 17 18. I send thee to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light c. Why are so many Nations Infidels Mahometans and Idolaters but for want of Ministers to preach the Gospel to them These Malignants therefore would take down the Sun and banish Christianity out of the world 5. And they hinder the conversion of particular souls and so are the cruellest wretches on earth Though an Angel must be sent to Cornelius it is not to be instead of a Preacher but to send him to a Preacher Acts 10. Though Christ would wonderfully appear to Saul it is to send him to Ananias for instruction Acts 9. Though the Jaylor must feel an Earth-quake and see miracles it is but to prepare him for the Ministers words Acts 16. Philip must be carried by an Angel to expound to an Eunuch the word that must convert him The Ministry is Gods instituted setled way by which he will convert and save the world as truly as the light is the natural way by which he will corporally enlighten them Acts 2. 18. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Matth. 5. 14. Rom 10. 14. Do you think so many souls would be converted if the Ministry were down Do you not see that the very contempt of them that the scorns of the ungodly and opposition of Malignant Apostates have occasioned doth hinder most of the ignorant and prophane from receiving the saving benefit of the Gospel How many millions of souls would these wretches sweep away to hell if
and all these sectst that are the enemies of the Ministry Do they not go up and down the Land and say to the wisest holyest Teachers as if they took them by the sleeve Come down and let me preach that can do it better Come down thou deceiver and ignorant man and let me come up that am wiser and better and know more Out with these proud Lordly Preachers and let us be your Teachers that are more holy and humble and self-denying then they Is not this the loud language of their actions And can you not hear the Devil in these words of highest Pride and Arrogancy But really Sirs do you think that these men would teach you better And is there enow that are wiser and better then we to fill up our rooms if we were out Do but prove that and you shall have my consent to banish all the Ministers in England to some place that hath greater need of their labour that they may no more trouble you that have no need of them and keep out better 24. Lastly consider on what sensless pretences all this enmity against the Ministry doth vent it self You shall hear the worst that they have to say against us though but briefly and then judge 1. The Quakers say We are idle drones that labour not and therefore should not eat Answ The worst I wish you is that you had but my ease instead of your labour I have reason to take my self for the least of Saints and yet I fear not to tell the accuser that I take the labour of most Tradesmen in the Town to be a pleasure to the body in comparison of mine though for the ends and the pleasure of my mind I would not change it with the greatest Prince Their labour preserveth health and mine consumeth it They work in ease and I in continual pain They have hours and dayes of recreation I have scarce time to eat and drink No body molesteth them for their labour but the more I do the more hatred and trouble I draw upon me If a Quaker ask me what all this labour is let him come and see or do as I do and he shall know 2. They accuse us of covetousness and oppression because we take tithes or hire as they call it Answ 1. Is it not malice or sacrilegious covetousness that frameth this accusation Whose are the Tithes are they ours or theirs The same Law of the Land that makes the nine parts theirs doth make the tenth ours If we have no title to the tenth they have none to the rest We ask none of our people for a farthing They give it not to us It was never theirs When they buy or take Leases of their Land it is only the nine parts that they pay for and if the tenths were sold them they should pay themselves a tenth part more And would these men make all the people thieves and covetous to take or desire that which never was their own Nay would they have them rob God to whom for his service the Tithes were devoted Read Mal. 3. 8 9 10. Rom. 2. 22. Gen. 14. 20. Heb. 7. 6 9. And whether Tithe it self be of Divine institution still is more then they are able to disprove Sure I am when Christ told them of tithing mint and cummin he saith These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Mat. 23. 23. 2. But most certain I am that God hath made it our duty to meditate on his Word and give our selves wholly thereto 1 Tim. 4. 15. and that we may Forbear working and not go on warfare at our own charge and sowing to men spiritual things should reap their carnal things Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 6 7 13 14. 3. And know you not that the Primitive Christians gave not only the tenths but all that they had and laid it at the Apostles feet to shew that the Gospel teacheth more clearly then the Law the necessity of dedicating our selves and all that we have to God 4. And yet I must say that we are content with food and rayment Most Ministers in England would be glad to give you all their tithes if you will but allow them food and rayment for themselves and families and such education for their children as is fittest to make them serviceable to God And I hope it is no sin to have mouths that must be fed or backs that must be cloathed What I must Gods Ministers above all others be grudged food and raiment and that of the Lords portion which none of you pay for I fear not to imitate Paul stopping the mouths of malicious accusers and to tell you that the Ministers whose expences I am acquainted with do give 500. pence for 50. that they receive by gift from their people and that they take all that they have as Christs and not their own and if they have never so much they devote it wholly to him and know he 's not beholden to them for it and some of them lay out in charitable uses much more then all the tithes that they receive for their Ministerial maintenance And if the Quakers that accuse them of covetousness would cast up accounts with them I doubt not but it will be found that they receive more by gift then Preachers and give not the fourth part so much when they have done 3. Another accusation is that we preach false doctrine and deceive the people Answ It 's easie to say so of any man in the world but when they come to prove it you will see who are the deceivers 4. Another is that we are persecutors and like the Priests of old and so all the reproofs of them and the Pharisees belong to us Answ This is soon said too but where 's the proof For themselves we have no mind to be troubled with them Let them let us alone as long as we will let them alone But yet they shall be taught one day to know that if the Magistrate stop the mouths of such Railers and abusers of God and men he doth no more persecute them then he persecuteth a thief when he hangeth him or then Paul persecuted Hymenaeus and Philetus when he delivered them up to Satan or Elymas Acts 13. 11. or then Peter persecuted Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. or then God would have had the Churches be persecutors against the woman Jezebel that was suffered to teach and seduce the people or against the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which God hated Rev. 2. 15 20. If hindering sin be persecuting the calling of a Magistrate is to be a persecutor Rom. 13. 4. and all parents must persecute their own children 5. Another accusation is that we are against the preaching of any