cedent from Chrift nor the Apoftles 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 ashamed 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 Strangers; 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 "Ministry.

By his Leave, he is mistaken, for those 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 Affembling themselves together, Heb. x. 25. And "one Sin can never excuse another."

Anf

1713.

Anf. If I fhould ask him, he being a Prefbyterian, whether it be a Sin to forfake the Affemblies of the Papifts, or Church of England, Baptifts, or Quakers, and come to theirs, I presume he would fay no: Then to what a Nonplus he has brought himself and Brethren, especially in Old England, for forfaking the Church and fetting up Meetings of their own: Truly he has made them all Sinners in fo doing; I do not know how his Brethren in N. E. will refent it; but I dare fay his Brethren in O. E. will give him no Thanks for his unlucky Turn; how he will excufe himself in this Sin of Ignorance I know not. Would not this have been a topping Writer for the Papifts when they burned the Proteftants for not coming to Church?

3dly. In Page 2d, he fays, The Apostle directs ⚫ in Acts of Charity, that every one contribute in Proportion as God had profper'd him. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. And that there fhould be Equality, every one bearing their equal Proportion of fuch a Burthen, 2 Cor. viii. 13, 14. He goes on,Much more ought there to be a Proportion or Equality obferved in the Maintenance of the Miniftry, which is a Matter of communicative Juftice; fo it was under the Law, and fo it 'fhould be under the Gospel.'

Anf. Notwithstanding thefe Priefts will bring those Texts of Holy Scripture, that tend to promote Charity to the Poor, and many Instances out of ancient Authors for ftirring up Charity to the Poor ; yet they will not, when it comes to their Cafe, allow it to be as Charity, but a Debt; as faith our Author in his first Page: And J. Mather, in a little Book fet forth to promote the Maintenance of their Minifters, in which I obferve he tells them, If they will ftand to the old

Law of the Jews, they must have but a Tenth of the Tenth;' which I fuppofe will not fatisfy those Men that have Hire for Preaching, and Money for Divining And therefore I think it their beft Way to let

the

the Jews old Law alone, and take to the new Law 1713. and Covenant of our Great Lord Jefus.

And further, if they will bring Inftances of Charity to the Poor, out of Scripture, and other Authors, let them be juft, and always when they would make the Application of it to the Ministry, to put honestly the Word Foor before Miniftry; viz. poor Prieft, poor Minifter; otherwife let them let fall their Argument for Charity for the Poor (which no good Chriftian will go about to difpute against) and fee what their Arguments for Juftice in the Cafe will do for them. They fay it is a juft Debt, a Matter of communicative Juftice; but when People do not fee Cause to commune with them, but quite the contrary, and buy none of their Ware or Merchandize, pray what Juftice is there in this? Why truly none, but a great deal of Injustice. 4thly, He fays, If any Man fail of doing his just Proportion, he thereby expofes either the Minifter to • lose so much of his juft Due,' (but he falls fhort of proving it a juft Due) or the other Inhabitants to pay more than their juft Proportion, and fo he is guilty of manifeft Wrong and Injuftice.'

No, where the People are not confenting (and if they were confenting, the New-Teftament is filent to any fuch Way of maintaining Gofpel Minifters) to this Proportion, but fee an Evil in it; and there is no Force under the glorious Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as I have abundantly and clearly (to thofe who are not blinded) proved above, even from the very Texts of Scripture which he brings and wrefts to prove the contrary, of which let the Impartial judge. Thus he and they building their Structure of Maintenance upon a bad Foundation, viz. Legal Force, it will fall to the Ground, if the Magiftrates do not help; for whose Help he calls very loud, and well he may, confidering he and others of his Mind are ready to faint and fall without it. But by what hath been faid, I would charitably hope, all moderate Chriftian Migiftrates will E

take

1713. take Care that the Preachers eat only the Grapes of

their own Vine, and the Milk of their own Flock,
and keep fo far juft as to let other Folks Grapes and
Milk alone. But if the Priefts and Magiftrates will
join together in Perfecution, then will we poor Suffe-
rers appeal from them to our great High Prieft, and
juft Judge of Heaven and Earth, and through his
Grace patiently fuffer what he fhall please to permit to
come upon us.

5thly, In his 3d Page, he fays, The publick Mini-
ftry of the Gofpel in any Town is a publick Privilege,
⚫ and every Inhabitant is confider'd therein, and par-
takes in the Privilege: For the Preaching of the
Gospel is the great Engine of Salvation, and Means
of Faith, Rom. i. 16. x. 17.'

If he means that there is no other Preaching the
Gofpel but from his Sect, we openly declare to the
World, that we differ from him in our Judgment,and
we believe upon good Grounds too. And what Gof-
pel, or Glad Tidings, (which the Word imports) can
that be to People to preach to them, That a certain
Number of them are eternally ordained for Damnation ;
and for ought thefe knowing Men know, they may
themselves be fome of them; for they cannot tell who
these damned Ones are. I think it would be abundant-
ly better if those prying Minifters would let the secret
Will of him that made them alone; for that belongs to
God, and not to Man, The revealed Truths belong to us,
and our Children. And to tell People they can never be
free from the Act of Sin while in this World, is really
miferable News, and dreadful Tidings indeed; fince
Sin is the Caufe of God's Wrath and Damnation, and
fince we cannot in Confcience join with fuch Anti-Gof-
pel Minifters, they ought not in Confcience to take our
Money or Goods from us.

Again he fays, Every one is invited to take. of
the Water of Life freely, Rev. xxvi. 17.

But,

But, by their Leave, theirs is the Water of Death, if we must always fin even in our beft Duties, then he knows, that the Wages of Sin is Death; and may not any good Chriftians be truly thankful when they are delivered from fuch a finful Miniftry? And what a Knock he gives himself in saying, We take of it freely, and his Pages are writ on purpofe to make People believe they ought to pay for it, and that they may force it from them too. So we may plainly fee, that their Waters, which proceed from them, in fuch bitter Streams, are the Waters of Death; because we cannot have them freely, according to the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost in the Holy Scripture, which he himself hath brought.

Again, whereas he fays, Where there is no Vision, or Preaching the Gofpel, the People perifh,' Prov.

xxix. 18.

This is contrary to what they fay, when they teach that Vision and Revelation is ceafed.

He goes on,

Being without God, without Christ, without the Covenant, they are in a hopeless, perishing Condition."

If he would infer from thefe Words, that where there is no publick vocal Teaching the People perifh, the Almighty has been kinder than this Minifter; for he has graciously promifed, that he would teach his People himself: The Children of the Lord are taught of the Lord, &c. And thine Eyes fhall behold thy Teachers, who cannot be removed into a Corner, Ifa. xxx. 20. which cannot be meant of outward Preachers, for they are often removed into Corners; but God, Chrift, and the Holy Spirit, cannot. And Chrift promifed to fend the Spirit of Truth, which fhould lead and guide into all Truth (not into Sin.) Now to fay that fuch who have not outward vocal Preaching perifh, is abfurd; and he muft want Charity, and then all his Ha rangues in his Pulpit are but like founding Brafs.

E 2

But

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