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1713 "into what City ye enter, and they receive you, eat fuch Things as are fet before you." (Where is legal Force here?)

Let this Man have a care left he be one of those that are blinded: For he muft needs be blind, if he cannot fee that this holy Text makes not for his Purpofe, but directly against him; here is not a Word of legal Force. It is far from it, that they were only to eat what was fet before them, if they received them who were true Ministers fent of Chrift, which yet, will be hard. Work for perfecuting Priefts to prove, themselves fo; be they of what Religion they may Well, what shall we do for this legal Force? Why.. truly we cannot find it in the Gofpel, or the New Teftament. Chrift came to fulfil the Law, and change the Priesthood, and put an End to carnal Ordinances. Buc it may be Jofeph Metcalfe is an Old-Teftament Man (as a certain N. E. Convert faid, on an Occasion well known to some of them) if he be, and will follow the Letter of the Law, he must go to knocking down Oxen, and killing of Sheep, which Work I believe they of his Cloth are generally to high for.

The next is 2 Cor. xi. 8. I robb❜d other Churches, "taking Wages of them to do you Service.'

Surely can any Body be fo bold as from this Text to fay, that the Apostle made a common Practice of Preaching for Wages, as our modern Priests do now a-days? I hope no Chriftian will imagine from thofe Words of the Apostle, that he was a Thief, or facrilegious Perfon, but only a Freedom of Speech, which he used to those whom he loved, as in Verse 11. is plainly expreffed. It is a familiar Way of Expreffion among ourfelves, where we know we may be free, when any Thing is given to us from our Friend, Oh I fhall rob thee too much: To put any other Conftruction upon the Apostle's Words, would be to make the Apostle a facrilegious Perfon, and a Robber,which is abfurd. But pray let him fpeak fairly a little for himself, and he will

wipe off thefe Money loving Priefts very handfomely. 1713. Verse 7. I bave, fays he, preached to you the Gospel of God freely. Oh! that cutting Word freely, what fhall we do with it? Tho' it was fo near our legal Minister, yet he thought fit not to meddle with it, and in the 9th Verfe (juft under, as the 7th just above, by which the poor Man is hedged in, how he will get out I know not) the Apoftle fays, And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no Man. And tells them in the fame Verfe, that he kept himfelf from being burthenfome to them, and that he refolved to keep himself fo. We dare all thofe that preach for Hire, and have Money for Divining, to come to fuch a Refolution. However, if they will not come to this good Refoluton, let them forbear abufing and perfecuting thofe that (by the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift) are.

The next is 1 Cor: ix. 7, 14. • Who goeth a Warfare at his own Charges? Who planteth a • Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit thereof? Who feedeth a Flock, and eateth not of the Milk there-' of? Even fo hath the Lord ordained, that thofe which preach the Gofpel, fhould live of the Gofpel.'

Jofeph hath left out what he thought 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 say 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 bave ufed none of thefe Things, neither have I written thofe Things, that it should be fo 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 wifh 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 Christ, there are some who do go on in this holy War-fare of preaching the Gofpel 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 plantetb a Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit thereof?

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 Apostle robbed, it was by Confent; but these Preachers now-a-days rob without Confent, even Vineyards which they never planted, but would destroy 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 thofe 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 those Things, thofe 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 elfe 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 Sweetnefs of the Word of Eternal Life, which is Strength to him in Weakness, 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; bleffed 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 Mafter's Servants did of old, that he lacked nothing, especially 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 bave 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 those 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 Apoftles Practice and Doctrine, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

The next Text which he quotes is 1 Tim. v. 17, 18. "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 opposite to Christ. For he indeed was perfecuted, but never perfecuted any, nor forced any, tho' it was in his Power; for which Reafon we cannot give those Men that double Honour which they defire; and for those who say they labour in the Word and Doctrine of our meek Lord, to set 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

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