PRI A wipe off these Money loving Priefts very handfomely. 1713. The next is Cor: ix. 7, 14. Who goeth a Jofeph hath left out what he thoughr made against it, from the 8th Verfe to the 13th, and 15th, where holy Paul fays, (though he had Power to eat and drink Verfe 4. at free Coft, yet he doth not fay any where, that he had Power to take it by Force, and we think it ought to be preached from an inward Neceffity, and not for an outward Maintenance) I have used none of thefe Things, neither have I written thofe Things, that it should be so done unto me. I wish Jofeph Metcalfe, and others in his Station, could fay fo honeftly. Now I may proceed to fay fomething to each Particular above, as it lieth in the holy Text. And, ift, Who goeth a Warfare at his own Charge? There are fome, though very few, I could heartily wish that there were more that would follow his Prac 1713. tice that wrote it, who himself was one that did fometimes do it, as there, when he wrought as his lawful Calling, and help'd thofe that were with him: And bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, there are fome who do go on in this holy Warfare of preaching the Gospel in this Age of the World at their own Charge, who have nothing to boast of neither; for a Neceffity is laid upon them, and Woe is unto them if they preach not the Gofpel. Though if any be poor, and want Help, we have nothing against it, but are for helping of those who can give a good Account of their Calling, and we are fo free to do it, that we need no Forcing to it, nor no Law for it. 2dly, Who planteth a Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit thereaf?: Well, he that hath planted a Vineyard, let him eat the Fruit of it, and welcome; but let him leave other Folks Vineyards alone, left he be counted a Robber in the worst Sense; for if the holy Apoftle robbed, it was by Confent; but thefe Preachers now-a-days rob without Confent, even Vineyards which they never planted, but would deftroy if they could: Oh! high, base, and Antichriftian Practice, with a Witness. 3dly, Who feedeth a Flock, and eateth not of the Milk thereof? But who feedeth a Flock, and milks the Flocks of others? Anfwer, Antichrift and Perfecuters, that cannot be content with the Milk that their own Flocks give, but will needs be milking and fleecing too those poor Sheep which cannot in Confcience join with them, believing that their Way is not the Door into the true Sheepfold, but that they are climbing up fome other Way, like Thieves and Robbers. And because the poor Sheep of the true Shepherd Jefus Chrift, bleat forth thofe Things, those inwardly ravening Wolves, who have got only the Sheeps Cloathing outwardly, being known to be fuch by their Fruits of Perfecution, will needs put the poor Sheep in their Pounds, when and where they have Power, Power, or else take it by Force, that is to fay, legal 1713. forfooth. 4thly, Even fo bath the Lord ordained, that they that preach the Gospel, fhall live of the Gospel. Yes, he hath ordained that they should live, but not that they should force a Living. A bleffed Ordination, and with holy Reverence be it repeated; for and because every true Minifter of Jefus knows the fweet Benefit of it in a two-fold Senfe. ift, He hath a holy living for his Soul; he is richly fed at his great Mafter's Table, with the fineft of the Wheat, and as with the holy Honey, or Sweetness of the Word of Eternal Life, which is Strength to him in Weaknets, Riches to him in Poverty, and Joy and Peace to him in Perfecution, which the World, and all the Periecutors therein, can never take away from him; blessed be God in Chrift for ever. 2dly, As to his bodily Living, if he be a true Man, and not a Lover of filthy Lucre, or Gain, he will have Caufe to fay, as his great Master's Servants did of old, that he lacked nothing, efpecially if his Call is from God and Chrift, and not from Man or Money. Oh! this Money, that is a loud Call indeed to our Menmade Ministers: If at any Time there chance to be two Calls, I always oblerved, that the higheft Bidder carried the Prieft. But where fhall we find that the Lord hath ordained that a Minifter fhall have fifty or an hundred Pounds per Annum (in all the holy Records) for Preaching the Gofpel? No, our great High Prieft faid to his, Freely ye have received, freely give. But if it had been his Mind, he could as well, and with as great and good Authority as any of thefe Men, have faid, If they will not give it you freely, take it by Force. But thofe Forcers know not of what Spirit they are of; if they do, they muft needs be the greater Hypocrites, and fo their Condemnation the greater. Gal. 1713. Gal. vi. 6. Let him that his taught in the Word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good Things. Yes, let thofe which these Men teach, communicate to them; for communicate and legal Force are Words of different Signification. I hope by this Time this Preacher's Eyes will be open'd to fee his Error, in Pleading for legal, forced Maintenance, especially from Chrift's and the Apostles Practice and Doctrine, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. 18. The next Text which he quotes is 1 Tim. v. 17, "Let the Elders which rule well, be counted "worthy of double Honour, especially they which "labour in the Word and Doctrine; for the Scripture "faith, Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth ❝out the Corn, and the Labourer is worthy of his "Reward." Very well, what is this to his legal Force? Here is nothing of it; thofe that rule well, will not force any Body, nor fet the Magiftrates upon their Backs, because they cannot conform to their Ways; those must be antichriftian Teachers for certain, being oppofite to Chrift. For he indeed was perfecuted, but never perfecuted any, nor forced any, tho' it was in his Power; for which Reason we cannot give thofe Men that double Honour which they defire; and for those who say they labour in the Word and Doctrine of our meek Lord, to fet the Magiftrates upon us, is wicked Ruling, inftead of ruling well. And as for the poor Ox that treads out the Corn, I am far from having him muzzled: But when he bites, and with his Horns pushes the Sheep, and tramples the growing green Corn to Dirt, I think then he ought to be muzzled and hoppled too. In his fecond Page he fays, "3dly, It is the Duty "of every Inhabitant in a Town to pay proportionable "towards Minifters Maintenance. Anf. No, if they are not all of one Perfwafion (and if they were all of one Perfwafion, he hath no fuch Pre cedent cedent from Chrift nor the Apostles to force, neither 1713. legal nor illegal) and are not free in the Choice of fuch Minifter: He runs too faft there, without he is popishly inclined, to perfecute every Body into his Perfwafion, which has been too much the Practice of fome of the N. E. Magiftrates and Minifters. I may not here forget, though I forgive, the Salutation of a certain Perfon, when I firft entered the Streets of their Metropolis of N. E. "Oh (fays he) what a "Pity it was that they did not hang all the Quakers "when they hanged the other four." Remarkable was the Anfwer that one of his Neighbours made him, "I wonder you are not afhamed to fay fo; for you "know that the Judgments of 'God have been on our "Country ever fince." I mention this as a Caution to the N. E. Minifters, that they would teach their People more Manners to their Neighbours, and to Strangeis; and to let them know, that fometimes the abovenamed People cannot be quiet in their folemn Meetings, for the Worship of Almighty God, in their chief Town of Boston; which, as I understand, is very much owing to Lies and Reproaches which the People have from their Priests and Pulpits. All which is a Shame to moderate Chriftians; fome of which, of all Perfwafions, I hope there are in the Country and Territories of New England. For firft, fays he, "None were exempted of old "from paying of Tithes for the Maintenance of the Miniftry. 66 By his Leave, he is mistaken, for thofe that did not join with them in Circumcifion were exempted. "2dly, Every Hearer ought to pay proportionable towards the Maintenance of the Preacher, Gal. vi.6. "And every Inhabitant ought to be a Hearer [what against their Confcience?] for it is Sin to forfake the "Afiembling themselves together, Heb. x. 25. And "one Sin can never excuse another." Anf |