Parallels Censures, Letter 1 · Section 16
The ſixtenth Section.
Your fiftenth point followeth: which is this, viz.
15. That miniſters ought only to live of voluntary contribution & not of ſtippends, or any ſet maintenāce: this you impute to vsus: we reject it, for we hold it lawful for the Elders of the Church to receave weekely, monthly, or yeerely a pencion of the Church for their labors, al that we teach concerning the mayntenance of the miniſterie is this.
1. That it is vnlawful for the Elders of the Church to challendg at the hands of them that are infidels & vnbeleevers, tithes, & offerings as you do.
2. Wee hold that tithes are either Iewish or popish,
3. That the officers of the viſible Church may receave any gift of any Frend that is without, & live of it.
4. That the officers of the Church in the neceſſity of the Church ought to work for their living, as Paul made tents.
5. That the officers of the Church may challendg mayntenance of the Church, if the Church be able to yeeld it.
6. That alſo the poore of the Church may require mayntenance vppon the ſame grounds for we are al members one of another, & have al things common in vſe, though not in poſſeſſion: al theſe particulars are plaine by theſe Scriptures, Heb. 7.12. & 9.9. Act. 2, 44.45. 1. Cor. 9.1-15. Gal. 6.6. & 4.9.10. Col. 2.16.17.20.21.
This is the ſubſtance of that wee hold herein and therefore Mr. Bern. you do vsus open wrong in this point alſo.
Paralleles, Cenſures, Obſervations, aperteyning to the ſixtenth Section.
Mr. Bern. pag. 136. of the Sep. Schiſme avoucheth that to deny tithes, & a ſet mayntenance to Miniſters is contrary to the Lords wiſdom, who vnderunder the law appointeth tithes a ſet maintenāce, & ther is nothing againſt it in the goſpel: I answer with the Apoſtle, the old Teſtament (I doe not meane the w…tings of the Law, the Prophets, & the Pſalmes) and the ordinances thereof are abolished: The bond woeman and her Children are caſt out, Gallat. 4.30. and if ther bee a chandg of the Preiſthood ther muſt needes bee a chandg of the law, Heb. 7.12. wherefore ſeing ſet ſtipends by tithes were a part of theſe worldly ordinances of the old Teſtament, of thoſe impotent & beggerly rudiments, of that yoke of bondage whence Chriſt hath ſet vsus free: It followeth that ſet mayntenance by tythes is …bolished by Chriſt & as the liberty of the goſpel is to be carefully preſerved in other things, as in that of circumciſion, of the paſſeover, of the preiſthood, of the Sacrifices and the reſ… ▪ So muſt it bee ca…efully preſerved even in this particular of ſe… maintenance by tithes, for if any Moſaicall, impotent, beggerly rudiment, …r worldly ordinance: if any part of the yoke of bondage may be joyned with Chriſ…, why not all? if not all, why may any? Againe whereas you ſay there is nothing againſt ſet mayntenance by tithes in the New Teſtament, I demaund two things: 1. Vhither Chriſt hath not abolished the Moſaical ordinances & brought in the New Teſtament? & whither this be not contrary to ſet maintenance by tithes? 2. whither wee ought not to have ſomthing for ſet mayntenance by tithes in the New Teſtament, (if it muſt be retayned) that wee vppon fayth may ſubmit vntounto it? Seing that what ſoever is not of Fayth is ſinne: So that this ſpeach of yours, viz: ther is nothing againſt it in the goſpel, is both falſe, & if it were true, yet is inſufficient, ſeing that it is not a good plea to ſay ther is nothing againſt it, except wee can alſo ſay, that ther is ſomthing for it: & thus much for this point.