The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 106 – Chapter 107
CHAP. CVI.
Peace.
PLease you now (deare Truth) to discusse the Scriptures from the Old Testament, Nehem 13. and 2 Chron. 31.
Truth.
The nationall Church of the Jewes might well be forced to a settled maintenance of their priests but not so the Christian Church.God gave unto that Nationall Church of the Jewes that excellent Land of Canaan, and therein Houses furnished, Orchards, Gardens Vineyards, Olive yards, Fields, Wells, &c. they might well in this settled abundance, and the promised continuation and increase of it afford a large temporall supply to their Priests and Levites, even to the Tenth of all they did possesse.
Gods people are now in the Gospel brought into a spirituall land of Canaan, flowing with spirituall milk and honey, and they abound with spirituall and heavenly comforts, though in a poore and persecuted condition, therefore an inforced setled maintenance is not sutable to the Gospel, as it was to the Ministry of Priests and Levites in the Law.
Secondly, in the change of the Church estate, there was also a change of the Priesthood and of the Law, Heb. 7. Nor did the Lord Iesus appoint that in his Church, and for the maintenance of his Ministrie, the Civill sword of the Magistrate, but that the Spirituall Sword of the Ministrie should alone compell.
3. Therefore the compulsion used under Hezekiah and Nehemiah, was by the civill and corporall Sword,The Civill Sword of the Nationall Church of the Jewes could not type out a Civill, but a Spirituall Sword of the Christian Church. a type (in that typicall State) not of another materiall and corporall, but of an heavenly and spirituall, even the sword of the Spirit, with which Christ fighteth, Revel. 3. which is exceeding sharpe, entring in between the soule and spirit, Heb. 4. and bringing every thought into captivitie to the obedience of Christ Iesus: He that submits not at the shaking of this sword, is cut off by it; and he that despiseth this sword, all the power in the World cannot make him a true worshipper, or by his purse a mainteiner of Gods worship.
Lastly, If any man professing to be a Minister of Christ Iesus, No man should be bound to worship, nor maintaine a Worship against his own consent.shall bring men before the Magistrate (as the practice hath been, both in Old and New England) for not paying him his wages or his due: I aske (if the voluntarie consent of the party hath not obliged him) how can either the officers of the Parish, Church, or of the Civill State compell this or that man to pay so much (more or lesse) to maintaine such a Worship or Ministrie? I ask further, if the determining what is each mans due to pay, why may they not determine the tenth and more, as some desired (others opposing) in New England, and force men not only to maintenance, but to a Iewish maintenance.
Peace.
Yea but (say they) is not the Labourer worthy of his hire?
Truth.
Yes, from them that hire him, from the Church, to whom he laboureth or ministreth,Christs labourers worthy of their hire, but from them that hire them not from the Civill State: no more then the Minister of the Civill State is worthy of his hire from the Church, but from the Civill State, (in which I grant the persons in the Church ought to be assistant in their Civill respects.)
Peace.
What maintenance (say they) shall the Ministrie of the Gospell have?
Truth.
We finde two wayes of maintenance for the Ministrie of the Gospell,What maintenance Christ hath appointed his Ministers in the Gospell. proposed for our direction in the New Testament.
First, the free and willing contribution of the Saints, according to 1 Cor. 16. Luc. 8. 3. &c. upon which both the Lord Jesus, and his Ministers lived.
Secondly, the diligent worke and labour of their owne hands, as Paul tells the Thessalonians, and that in two cases:
1. Either in the inabilities and necessities of the Church.
2. Or for the greater advantage of Christs truth; as when Paul saw it would more advantage the name of Christ, he denies himselfe, and falls to worke amongst the Corinthians and Thessalonians.
Let none call these cases extraordinary: for if persecution be the portion of Christs sheep, and the busines or worke of Christ must be dearer to us then our right eyes or lives, such as will follow Paul, and follow the Lord Iesus, must not thinke much at, but rejoyce in poverties, necessities, hunger, cold, nakednesse, &c. The Stewards of Christ Iesus must be like their Lord, and abhorre to steale as the evill Steward, pretending that the shamed to beg, but peremptorily, dig he could not.
CHAP. CVII.
Peace.
ONe and the last branch (deare Truth) remaines concerning Schooles.
The Churches (say they) much depend upon the Schooles, and the Schooles upon the Magistrates.
Truth.
I honour Schooles for Tongues and Arts: but the institution of Europes Universities, Universities of Europe a cause of universall sins & plagues, yet Schooles honourable for Tongues and Arts.devoting persons (as is said) for Scholars, in a Monasticall way, forbidding Mariage and Labour to, I hold as far from the mind of Iesus Christ, as it is from propagating his Name and Worship.
We count the Universities the Fountaines, the Seminaries or Seed-plots of all Pietie: but have not those Fountaines ever sent what streames the Times have liked? and ever changed their taste and colour to the Princes eye and Palate?
For any depending of the Church of Christ upon such Schooles, I finde not a little in the Testament of Christ Iesus.
I finde the Church of Christ frequently compared to a Schoole: Christs church his Schoole, and all Believers Scholars.All Beleevers are his Disciples or Scholars, yea women also, Acts 9. 36. There was a certaine Disciple or Scholar called Dorcas.
Have not the Universities sacrilegiously stole this blessed name of Christs Scholars from his people? Is not the very Scripture language it selfe become absurd, to wit, to call Gods people, especially Women (as Dorcas) Scholars?
Peace.
Some will object, how shall the Scriptures be brought to …ight from out of Popish darknesse, except these Schooles of Prophets convey them to us?
Truth.
I know no Schooles of Prophets in the New Testament, but the particular Congregation of Christ Iesus, 1 Cor. 14. And I question whether any thing but Sinne stopt and dried up the current of the Spirit in those rare gifts of tongues to Gods sons & daughters, serving so admirably both for the understanding of the Originall Scriptures, and also for the propagating of the name of Christ.
Who knowes but that it may please the Lord againe to cloath his people with a spirit of zeale and courage for the name of Christ, Who knowes but God may againe powre forth the gifts of Tongues?yea and powre forth those fiery streames againe of Tongues and Prophecie in the restauration of Zion?
If it be not his holy pleasure so to doe, but that his people with daily study and labour must dig to come at the Originall Fountaines, Tongues attainable out of Oxford or Cambridge.Gods people have many wayes (besides the Universitie, lazie and Monkish) to attaine to an excellent measure of the knowledge of those tongues.
That most despised (while living) and now much honoured Mr. Ainsworth, Mr. Ainsworthhad scarce his Peere amongst a thousand Academians for the Scripture Originalls, and yet he scarce set foot within a Colledge walls.