The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 105
CHAP. CV.
Peace.
VVE have examined the Ministry, be pleased (deare Truth) to speake to the second branch of this head, viz. the maintenance of it: They affirme that the Magistrate may force out the Ministers maintenance from all that are taught by them, and that after the patterne of Israel, and the argument from 1 Cor. 9. Gal. 6. 6.
Truth.
This theame, viz. concerning the maintenance of the Priests and Ministers of worship, is indeed the Apple of the Eye, the Dianah of the Dianah, &c. yet all that love Christ Jesus in sincerity, and soules in and from him will readily professe to abhorre filthy lucre (Tit. 1.) and the wages of Balaam (both more common and frequent then easily is discernable.)
To that Scripture Gal. 6. 6.Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word make him that teacheth partaker of all his goods: I answer,Concerning the maintenance of the Ministry examined. That teaching was of persons converted, beleevers entred into the Schoole and Family of Christ the Church, which Church being rightly gathered, is also rightly invested with the power of the Lord Iesus, to force every soule therein by spirituall weapons and penalties to doe its duty.
But this forcing of the Magistrate is intended and practised to all sorts of persons without as well as within the Church, unconverted, naturall and dead in sinne, as well as those that live, and feeding enjoy the benefit of spirituall food.
Now for those sorts of persons to whom Christ Iesus sends his Word out of Church estate,Christ Jesus never appointed a maintenance of his Ministers from the unconverted and unbeleeving. Iewes or Gentiles, (according to the Parable of Math. 13. high-way hearers, stony ground and thorny ground hearers) wee never finde title of any maintenance to bee expected, least of all to bee forced and exacted from them. By civill power they cannot be forced, for it is no civill payment or businesse, no matter of Caesar, but concerning God: nor by spirituall power, which hath nothing to doe with those which are without, 1. Cor. 5.
It is reasonable to expect and demand of such as live within the state a civill maintenance of their civill officers, and to force it where it is denyed. It is reasonable for a Schoole-master to demand his recompence for his labour in his Schoole: but it is not reasonable to expect or force it from stranges, enemies, rebels to that City, from such as come not within, or else would not bee received into the Schoole. What is the Church of Christ Iesus, but the City, the School…, and Family of Christ? the Officers of this City, Schoole, Family, may reasonably expect maintenance from such they minister unto, but not from strangers, enemies, &c.
Peace.
They that compell men to heare, compell men also to pay for their hearing and conversion.It is most true that sinne goes in a linke, for that tenent that all the men of the world may bee compelled to heare Christ preach (and enjoy the labours of the Teacher as well as the Church it selfe) forceth on another also as evill, viz. that they should also be compelled to pay, as being most equall and reasonable to pay for their conversion.
Truth.
Some use to urge that Text of Luc. 14. Compell them to come in. Compell them to Masse (say the Papists:) compell them to Church and Common prayer, say the Protestants: Compell them to the Meeting, say the New English. In all these compulsions they disagree amongst themselves: but in this, viz. Compell them to pay, in this they all agree.
There is a double violence which both Errour and Falshood use to the soules of men.Two sorts of compulsion.
First, morall andMorall and perswasive, such was the perswasion first used to Ioseph by his Mistris: such was the perswasions of Tamar from Ammon: such was the compelling of the young man by the Harlot; Prov. 7. shee caught him by her much faire speech and kisses. And thus is the whole world compelled to the worship of the Golden Image, Dan. 3.
The second Compulsion is civill, Civill Compulsion.such as Iosephs Mistris began to practise upon Ioseph to attaine her whorish desires.
Such as Ammon practised on Tamar to satisfie his brutish lust.
And such was Nabuchadnezzars second compulsion, his fiery Furnace, Dan. 3. and mysticall Nabuchadnezzars killing all that receive not his marke, Rev. 13.
The first sort of these violences, The Ministers of Christ Jesus compell with no other sword then that of Christs mouth, the sword of the Spirit with two edges.to wit, by powerfull argument and perswasion, the Ministers of the Gospel also use. Hence all those powerfull perswasions of Wisedomes Maidens, Pro. 9. Hence (saith Paul) knowing the terrour of the Lord, we perswade men, 2 Cor. 5. and pull some out of the fire, saith Iud…: such must that compulsion be, Luc. 14. viz. the powerfull perswasions of the word, being that two-edged sword comming out of the mouth of Christ Iesus in his true Ministers sent forth to invite poore sinners to partake of the Feast of the Lambe of God. The civill Ministers of the Commonweale cannot be sent upon this businesse with their civill weapons and compulsions, but the spirituall Minister of the Gospel with his spirituall sword of Christs mouth, a sword with two edges.
But more particularly the contributions of Christs Kingdome are all holy and spirituall,The maintenance of the Ministry spirituall. though consisting of materiall earthly substance, (as is Water in Baptisme, Bread and Wine in the Supper) and joyned with prayer and the Lords Supper, Act. 2. 42.
Hence as Prayer is called Gods sacrifice, Naturall men can neither truly worship nor maintain it.so are the contributions and mutuall supplyes of the Saints, sacrifices, Phil. 4.
Hence also as it is impossible for naturall men to bee capable of Gods worship, and to feed, be nourished and edified by any spirituall ordinance, no more then a dead childe can sucke the breast, or a dead man feast:
So also is it as impossible for a dead man yet lodged in the grave of Nature to contribute spiritually (I meane according to Scriptures rule) as for a dead man to pay a reckoning.
I question not but naturall men may for the outward act preach, pray, contribute, &c. but neither are they worshippers suitable to him who is a Spirit (Iohn 4.) nor can they (least of all) bee forced to worship or the maintenance of it, without a guilt of their hypocrisie.
Peace.
They will say, what is to be done for their soules?
Truth.
The Apostles (whom wee professe to imitate) preached the Word of the Lord to unbeleevers, without mingling in worship with them, and such Preachers and preaching such as pretend to be the true Ministry of Christ, ought to be and practise: Not forcing them all their dayes to come to Church and pay their duties, either so confessing that this is their Religion unto which they are forced: or else that (as before) they are forced to be of no Religion all their dayes.
The way to subdue Rebels is not by correspondence and communion with them,Rebels not subdued by compliance, but resistance. by forcing them to keepe the City Watches, and pay sessements, &c. which all may be practised (upon compulsion) treacherously, the first work with such is powerfully to subdue their judgments and wills, to lay downe their weapons, and yeeld willing subjection: then come they orderly into the City, and so to Citie priviledges.