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as if the gospel had any consecrated things in answer to things of the temple, ver. 13, but he calls them "your carnal things," ver. 11, without changing their property. And what power had he? Not the power of force, but of conscience only, whereby he might lawfully and without scruple live on the gospel; receiving what was given him, as the recompence of his labour For if Christ the Master hath professed his kingdom to be not of this world, it suits not with that profession, either in him or his ministers, to claim temporal right from spiritual respects. He who refused to be the divider of an inheritance between two brethreu, cannot approve his ministers, by pretended right from him, to be dividers of tenths and freeholds out of other men's possessions, making thereby the gospel but a cloak of carnal interest, and to the contradiction of their master, turning his heavenly kingdom into a kingdom of this world, a kingdom of force and rapine: to whom it will be one day thundered more terribly than to Gehazi, for thus dishonouring a far greater master and his gospel; "Is this a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep and oxen?" The leprosy of Naaman, linked with that apostolic curse of perishing imprecated on Simon Magus, may be feared will "cleave to such and to their seed for ever." So that when all is done, and belly hath used in vain all her cunning shifts, I doubt not but all true ministers, considering the demonstration of what hath been here proved, will be wise, and think it much more tolerable to hear, that no maintenance of ministers, whether tithes or any other, can be settled by statute, but must be given by them who receive instruction; and freely given, as God hath ordained. And indeed what can be a more honourable maintenance to them than such, whether alms or willing oblations, as these; which being accounted both alike as given to God, the only acceptable sacrifices now remaining, must needs represent him who receives them much in the care of God, and nearly related to him, when not by worldly force and constraint, but with religious awe and reverence, what is given to God, is given to him; and what to him, accounted as given to God. This would be well enough, say they; but how many will so give? I answer, as many, doubtless, as shall be well taught, as many as God shall so move. Why are ye so distrustful, both of your own doctrine and of God's promises, fulfilled in the experience of those disciples first sent? Luke xxii. 35, “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing." How then came ours, or who sent them thus destitute, thus poor and empty both of purse and faith? Who style themselves embassadors of Jesus Christ, and seem to be his tithe-gatherers, though an office of their own setting up to his dishonour, his exacters, his publicans rather, not trusting that he will maintain them in their embassy, unless they bind him to his promise by a statute-law, that we shall maintain them. Lay down for shame that magnific title, while ye seek maintenance from the people: it is not the manner of embassadors to ask maintenance of them to whom

and these primitive examples, maintained those among them who bore the office of ministers by alms only. Take their very words from the history written of them in French, Part 3, Lib. 2, Chap. 2, “La nourriture et ce de quoy nous sommes couverts, &c. Our food and clothing is sufficiently administered and given to us by way of gratuity and alms, by the good people whom we teach." If then by alms and benevolence, not by legal force, not by tenure of freehold or copyhold: for alms, though just, cannot be compelled; and benevolence forced is malevolence rather, violent and inconsistent with the gospel; and declares him no true minister thereof, but a rapacious hireling rather, who by force receiving it, eats the bread of violence and exaction, no holy or just livelihood, no not civilly counted honest; much less beseeming such a spiritual ministry. But, say they, our maintenance is our due, tithes the right of Christ, unseparable from the priest, to where repealed; if then, not otherwise to be had, by law to be recovered: for though Paul were pleased to forego his due, and not to use his power, 1 Cor. 1. 12, yet he had a power, ver. 4, and bound not others. I answer first, because I see them still so loth to unlearn their decimal arithmetic, and still grasp their tithes as inseparable from a priest, that ministers of the gospel are not priests; and therefore separated from tithes by their exclusion, being neither called priests in the New Testament, nor of any order known in Scripture: not of Melchisedec, proper to Christ only; not of Aaron, as they themselves will confess; and the third priesthood only remaining, is common to all the faithful. But they are ministers of our high priest.True, but not of his priesthood, as the Levites were to Aaron; for he performs that whole office himself incommunicably. Yet tithes remain, say they, still unreleased, the due of Christ; and to whom payable, but to his ministers? I say again, that no man can so understand them, unless Christ in some place or other so claim them. That example of Abraham argues nothing but his voluntary act; honour once only done, but on what consideration, whether to a priest or to a king, whether due the honour, arbitrary that kind of bonour or not, will after all contending be left still in mere conjecture: which must not be permitted in the claim of such a needy and subtle spiritual corporation, [retending by divine right to the tenth of all other men's estates; nor can it be allowed by wise men or the verdict of common law. And the tenth part, though once declared holy, is declared now to be no alier than the other nine, by that command to Peter, Acts x. 15, 28, whereby all distinction of holy and unholy is removed from all things. Tithes therefore, though claimed, and holy under the law, yet are now released and quitted both by that command to Peter, and by this to all ministers, above-cited Luke x. “ eatng and drinking such things as they give you :" made holy now by their free gift only. And therefore St. Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 4, asserts his power indeed; but of what? not of tithes, but "to eat and drink such tings as are given" in reference to this command; which he calls not holy things, or things of the gospel,

they are sent. But he who is Lord of all things, hath

so ordained: trust him then; he doubtless will com- | purchased with money; thou hast neither part nor lot mand the people to make good his promises of main-in this matter." Next, it is a fond errour, though too tenance more honourably unasked, unraked for. This they know, this they preach, yet believe not: but think it as impossible, without a statute-law, to live of the gospel, as if by those words they were bid go eat their Bibles, as Ezekiel and John did their books; and such doctrines as these are as bitter to their bellies; but will serve so much the better to discover hirelings, who can have nothing, though but in appearance, just and solid to answer for themselves against what hath been here spoken, unless perhaps this one remaining pretence, which we shall quickly see to be either false or uningenuous.

They pretend that their education, either at school or university, hath been very chargeable, and therefore ought to be repaired in future by a plentiful maintenance: whenas it is well known, that the better half of them, (and ofttimes poor and pitiful boys, of no merit or promising hopes that might entitle them to the public provision, but their poverty and the unjust favour of friends,) have had the most of their breeding, both at school and university, by scholarships, exhibitions, and fellowships at the public cost, which might engage them the rather to give freely, as they have freely received. Or if they have missed of these helps at the latter place, they have after two or three years left the course of their studies there, if they ever well began them, and undertaken, though furnished with little else but ignorance, boldness, and ambition, if with no worse vices, a chaplainship in some gentleman's house, to the frequent embasing of his sons with illiterate and narrow principles. Or if they have lived there upon their own, who knows not that seven years charge of living there, to them who fly not from the government of their parents to the licence of a university, but come seriously to study, is no more than may be well defrayed and reimbursed by one year's revenue of an ordinary good benefice? If they had then means of breeding from their parents, it is likely they have more now; and if they have, it needs must be mechanic and uningenuous in them, to bring a bill of charges for the learning of those liberal arts and sciences, which they have learned (if they have indeed learned them, as they seldom have) to their own benefit and accomplishment. But they will say, we had betaken us to some other trade or profession, had we not expected to find a better livelihood by the ministry. This is that which I looked for, to discover them openly neither true lovers of learning, and so very seldom guilty of it, nor true ministers of the gospel. So long ago out of date is that old true saying, 1 Tim. iii. 1, “ If a man desire a bishopric, he desires a good work:" for now commonly he who desires to be a minister, looks not at the work, but at the wages; and by that lure or lowbell, may be tolled from parish to parish all the town over. But what can be plainer simony, than thus to be at charges beforehand, to no other end than to make their ministry doubly or trebly beneficial? To whom it might be said, as justly as to that Simon, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought, that the gift of God may be

much believed among us, to think that the university
makes a minister of the gospel; what it may conduce
to other arts and sciences, I dispute not now: but that
which makes fit a minister, the Scripture can best in-
form us to be only from above, whence also we are bid
to seek them; Matt. ix. 38," Pray ye therefore to the
Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers
into his harvest." Acts xx. 28, "The flock, over which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." Rom. 1.
15, "How shall they preach, unless they be sent?"
By whom sent? by the university, or the magistrate,
or their belly? No surely, but sent from God only, and
that God who is not their belly. And whether he be
sent from God, or from Simon Magus, the inward sense
of his calling and spiritual ability will sufficiently tell
him; and that strong obligation felt within him, which
was felt by the apostle, will often express from him the
same words: 1 Cor. ix. 16, " Necessity is laid
прод
me, yea, woe is me if I preach not the gospel." Not
a beggarly necessity, and the woe feared otherwise of
perpetual want, but such a necessity as made him will-
ing to preach the gospel gratis, and to embrace poverty,
rather than as a woe to fear it. 1 Cor. xii. 28, “ God
hath set some in the church, first apostles," &c. Ephes.
iv. 11, &c. "He gave some apostles, &c. For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come
to the unity of the faith." Whereby we may know,
that as he made them at the first, so he makes them
still, and to the world's end. 2 Cor. iii. 6, “Who hath
also made us fit or able ministers of the New Testa
ment." 1 Tim. iv. 14, "The gift that is in thee, which
was given thee by prophecy, and the laying on of the
hands of the presbytery." These are all the means.
which we read of, required in Scripture to the making
of a minister. All this is granted, you will say; bat
yet that it is also requisite he should be trained in
other learning: which can be no where better had than
at universities. I answer, that what learning, either
human or divine, can be necessary to a minister, may
as easily and less chargeably be had in any private
house. How deficient else, and to how little purpose.
are all those piles of sermons, notes, and comments a
all parts of the Bible, bodies and marrows of divinity,
besides all other sciences, in our English tongue; many
of the same books which in Latin they read at the un
versity? And the small necessity of going thither
learn divinity I prove first from the most part of the
selves, who seldom continue there till they have w
got through logic, their first rudiments; though, to say
truth, logic also may much better be wanting in dis-
putes of divinity, than in the subtile debates of lawyers
and statesmen, who yet seldom or never deal with st
logisms. And those theological disputations there he
by professors and graduates are such, as tend least
all to the edification or capacity of the people, bu
rather perplex and leaven pure doctrine with schola
tical trash, than enable any minister to the bette
preaching of the gospel. Whence we may also co

+

pute, since they come to reckonings, the charges of his than which nothing can be uttered more false, more needful library; which, though some shame not to ignominious, and I may say, more blasphemous against value at 6001. may be competently furnished for 601. our Saviour; who hath promised without this condiIf any man for his own curiosity or delight be in books tion, both his Holy Spirit, and his own presence with further expensive, that is not to be reckoned as neceshis church to the world's end: nothing more false, sary to his ministerial, either breeding or function. (unless with their own mouths they condemn themBut papists and other adversaries cannot be confuted selves for the unworthiest and most mercenary of all without fathers and councils, immense volumes, and of other ministers,) by the experience of 300 years after vast charges. I will shew them therefore a shorter and Christ, and the churches at this day in France, Austria, a better way of confutation: Tit. i. 9, " Holding fast Polonia, and other places, witnessing the contrary the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may under an adverse magistrate, not a favourable; nothing be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to con- more ignominious, levelling, or rather undervaluing vince gainsayers:” who are confuted as soon as heard, Christ beneath Mahomet. For if it must be thus, how bringing that which is either not in Scripture, or can any Christian object it to a Turk, that his religion against it. To pursue them further through the ob- stands by force only; and not justly fear from him scure and entangled wood of antiquity, fathers and this reply, Yours both by force and money, in the judgcouncils fighting one against another, is needless, end- ment of your own preachers? This is that which less, not requisite in a minister, and refused by the first makes atheists in the land, whom they so much comreformers of our religion. And yet we may be con- plain of: not the want of maintenance, or preachers, fident, if these things be thought needful, let the state as they allege, but the many hirelings and cheaters bat erect in public good store of libraries, and there that have the gospel in their hands; hands that still will not want men in the church, who of their own in- crave, and are never satisfied. Likely ministers indeed, elinations will become able in this kind against papist to proclaim the faith, or to exhort our trust in God, er any other adversary. I have thus at large examined when they themselves will not trust him to provide for the usual pretences of hirelings, coloured over most them in the message whereon, they say, he sent them; commonly with the cause of learning and universities; but threaten, for want of temporal means, to desert it; as if with divines learning stood and fell, wherein for calling that want of means, which is nothing else but the most part their pittance is so small; and, to speak the want of their own faith and would force us to pay freely, it were much better there were not one divine the hire of building our faith to their covetous increin the universities, no school-divinity known, the idle dulity. Doubtless, if God only be he who gives minissophistry of monks, the canker of religion; and that ters to his church till the world's end; and through the they who intended to be ministers, were trained up in whole gospel never sent us for ministers to the schools the church only by the Scripture, and in the original of philosophy, but rather bids us beware of such "vain languages thereof at school; without fetching the deceit," Col. ii. 8, (which the primitive church, after two compass of other arts and sciences, more than what or three ages not remembering, brought herself quickly they can well learn at secondary leisure, and at to confusion,) if all the faithful be now " a holy and a home.-Neither speak I this in contempt of learning, royal priesthood," 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9, not excluded from the or the ministry, but hating the common cheats of both; dispensation of things holiest, after free election of the bating that they, who have preached out bishops, pre-church, and imposition of hands, there will not want lates, and canonists, should, in what serves their own ministers elected out of all sorts and orders of men, for ends, retain their false opinions, their pharisaical leaven, the gospel makes no difference from the magistrate their avarice, and closely their ambition, their plurali- himself to the meanest artificer, if God evidently favour ties, their nonresidences, their odious fees, and use their him with spiritual gifts, as he can easily, and oft hath legal and popish arguments for tithes : that independ-done, while those bachelor divines and doctors of the ents should take that name, as they may justly from tippet have been passed by. Heretofore in the first the true freedom of christian doctrine and church-disci- evangelic times, (and it were happy for christendom pline subject to no superiour judge but God only, and if it were so again,) ministers of the gospel were by seek to be dependents on the magistrates for their nothing else distinguished from other christians, but by maintenance; which two things, independence and their spiritual knowledge and sanctity of life, for which state-hire in religion, can never consist long or certhe church elected them to be her teachers and overtainly together. For magistrates at one time or other, seers, though not thereby to separate them from whatnot like these at present our patrons of christian liberty, ever calling she then found them following besides; as will pay none but such whom by their committees of the example of St. Paul declares, and the first times of examination they find conformable to their interests Christianity. When once they affected to be called a and opinions: and hirelings will soon frame themselves clergy, and became, as it were, a peculiar tribe of Leto that interest, and those opinions which they see best vites, a party, a distinct order in the commonwealth, pleasing to their paymasters; and to seem right them-bred up for divines in babbling schools, and fed at the selves, will force others as to the truth. But most of all they are to be reviled and shamed, who cry out with the distinct voice of notorious hirelings; that if ye settle not our maintenance by law, farewell the gospel;

public cost, good for nothing else but what was good for nothing, they soon grew idle that idleness, with fulness of bread, begat pride and perpetual contention with their feeders the despised laity, through all ages

ever since; to the perverting of religion, and the disturbance of all christendom. And we may confidently conclude, it never will be otherwise while they are thus upheld undepending on the church, on which alone they anciently depended, and are by the magistrate publicly maintained a numerous faction of indigent persons, crept for the most part out of extreme want and bad nurture, claiming by divine right and freehold the tenth of our estates, to monopolize the ministry as their peculiar, which is free and open to all able Christians, elected by any church. Under this pretence exempt from all other employment, and enriching themselves on the public, they last of all prove common incendiaries, and exalt their horns against the magistrate himself that maintains them, as the priest of Rome did soon after against his benefactor the emperor, and the presbyters of late in Scotland. Of which hireling crew, together with all the mischiefs, dissensions, troubles, wars merely of their kindling, christendom might soon rid herself and be happy, if Christians would but know their own dignity, their liberty, their adoption, and let it not be wondered if I say, their spiritual priesthood, whereby they have all equally ac

cess to any ministerial function, whenever called by their own abilities, and the church, though they never came near commencement or university. But while protestants, to avoid the due labour of understanding their own religion, are content to lodge it in the breast, or rather in the books, of a clergyman, and to take it thence by scraps and mammocks, as he dispenses it in his Sunday's dole; they will be always learning and never knowing; always infants; always either his vassals, as lay papists are to their priests; or at odds with him, as reformed principles give them some light to be not wholly conformable; whence infinite disturb ances in the state, as they do, must needs follow. Thus much I had to say; and, I suppose, what may enough to them who are not avariciously bent otherwise, touching the likeliest means to remove hirelings out of the church; than which nothing can more conduce to truth, to peace and all happiness both in church and state. If I be not heard nor believed, the event will bear me witness to have spoken truth; and I, in the mean while, have borne my witness, not out of season, to the church and to my country.

be

LETTER TO A FRIEND,

CONCERNING

THE RUPTURES OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

PUBLISHED FROM THE MANUSCRIPT.

SIR,

apparent cause of public concernment to the church or commonwealth, but only for discommissioning nine great officers in the army; which had not been done, as is reported, but upon notice of their intentions against the parliament. I presume not to give my censure on this action, not knowing, as yet I do not, the bottom of it. I speak only what it appears to us without doors, till better cause be declared, and I am sure to all other nations most illegal and scandalous, I fear me barbarous, or rather scarce to be exampled among any barbarians, that a paid army should, for no other cause, thus subdue the supreme power that set them up. This, I say, other nations will judge to the sad dishonour of that army, lately so renowned for the civilest and best ordered in the world, and by us here at home, for the most conscientious. Certainly, if the great officers and soldiers of the Holland, French, or Venetian forces, should thus sit in council, and write from garrison to garrison against their superiours, they might as easily reduce the king of France, or duke of Venice, and put the United Provinces in like disorder and confusion. Why do they not, being most of them held ignorant of true religion? because the light of nature, the laws of human society, the reverence of their magistrates, covenants, engagements, loyalty, allegiance, keeps them in awe. How grievous will it then be! how infamous to the true religion which we profess! how dishonourable to the name of God, that his fear and the power of his knowledge in an army professing to be his, should not work that obedience, that fidelity to their supreme magistrates, that levied them and paid them; when the light of nature, the laws of human society, covenants and contracts, yea common shame, works in other armies, amongst the worst of them! Which will undoubtedly pull down the heavy judgment of God among us, who cannot but avenge these hypocrisies, violations of truth and holiness; if they be indeed so as they yet seem. For neither do I speak this in reproach to the army, but as jealous of their honour, inciting them to manifest and publish with all speed, some better cause of these their late actions, than hath

Troy the sad and serious discourse which we fell into last night, concerning these dangerous ruptures of the Commonwealth, scarce yet in her infancy, which cannot be without some inward flaw in her bowels; I began to consider more intensely thereon than hitherto I have been wont, resigning myself to the wisdom and care of those who had the government; and not finding that either God or the public required more of me, than my prayers for them that govern. And since you have not only stirred up my thoughts, by acquainting me with the state of affairs, more inwardly than I knew before; but also have desired me to set down my opinion thereof, trusting to your ingenuity, I shall give you freely my apprehension, both of our present evils, and what expedients, if God in mercy regard us, may remove them. I will begin with telling you how I was overjoyed, when I heard that the army, under the working of God's Holy Spirit, as I thought, and still hope well, had been so far wrought to christian humility, and self-denial, as to confess in public their backsliding from the good old cause, and to shew the fruits of their repentance, in the righteousness of their restoring the old famous parliament, which they had without just authority dissolved: I call it the famous parliament, though not the harmless, since none wellaffected, but will confess, they have deserved much more of these nations, than they have undeserved. And I persuade me, that God was pleased with their restitution, signing it, as he did, with such a signal victory, when so great a part of the nation were desperately conspired to call back again their Ægyptian bondage. So much the more it now amazes me, that they, whose lips were yet scarce closed from giving thanks for that great deliverance, should be now relapsing, and so soon again backsliding into the same fhalt, which they confessed so lately and so solemnly God and the world, and more lately punished in Love Cheshire rebels; that they should now dissolve that parliament, which they themselves re-established, and acknowledged for their supreme power in their other day's humble representation: and all this, for no

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