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Complaints: Whereas there is no Complaining in all our

Streets.

We should starve (cry they) if we had not a Law to compel.

Chrift's Minifters of old, when be fent them forth, they bad no Law, and yet they lacked nothing; Is Chrift or the Men changed now-a-days? The Men doubtless: For now they cry, More, more, more Money: Let every true Chriftian judge in this Matter.

T. C.

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1713.

I

Shall first take notice of his. Preface, to one called a Quaker, in which he fays, "That he thinks "that there is fufficient Matter of Conviction in "the Texts and Arguments improved.'

Anfwer. But every fincere Soul when they come to fee the Texts themselves, will have Caufe to think to the contrary; for had they been fairly produced, they would have faved the Labour of a further Reply, they being far from countenancing any forced Maintenance to Chrift's Minifters. And as for his Arguments improved, they fmell fo ftrong of Perfecution, that I would charitably hope no fober Chriftian or Magiftrate, who inclines to Moderation (which ought to appear in all) will take any further Notice of them, than to pity his Ignorance.

Yet notwithstanding his mighty Arguments and great Improvements, he gives them this Blow, " He has but little hopes of his being convinced, (to whom "he writes) because of the Efficacy of Error and "Delufion, &c.".

He would have had more Reason to have writ fo, if he had first proved Error and Delufion upon him. And truly, he would have been greatly deluded, if he had believed that great Untruth, That forcing a Maintenance for a Gospel Minifter was warrantable from the Holy Scriptures, if he be fober, and in his Wits, one would believe that he cannot (when he seriously confiders of it) but be convinced that he is mistaken.

And as for his Prayers, the Scripture fays, We know that God beareth not Sinners: And that he is a Sinner, is plain, in wrefting and perverting the Scriptures, as he has done, and as I fhall fhow through the Help of Chrift, my Lord and Saviour.

Forcing

Forcing a Maintenance,

Not WARRANTABLE from the

HOLY SCIPTURE,

FOR A
Y

MINISTER of the GOSPEL.

OW, pray let us obferve what he fays to 1713. the Matter in hand.

Nh

ft. As to the Laws of New England,

he fays, The Laws of this Province require that the Inhabitants of each Town hall take due Care to be conftantly provided with a Gofpel Minifter: And that each Minifter fhall be fufficiently fupported and maintained by the Inhabitants of the Town.

That all rateable Eftates, and Inhabitants in the Town Shall be affefed, and pay proportionable to fuch Main

tenance.

And that fuch as refufe to pay accordingly, shall have their Proportion taken from them by Diftrefs.

Anfwer. I fhall not here difpute the Injuftice of this Law fo largely as I might (only I'muft add, they have no fuch Example from Chrift nor the Apoftles, with this Provifo, that it is made amongft a Society of Men for themselves, and those of their own Communion) but if this is intended to force thofe of other Pro

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feffions,

1713. feffions, and who cannot for Confcience Sake join with them, believing them to be Antichriftian Minifters, (as to be fure all fuch are as go about to maintain fuch Doctrine as this Prieft Metcalfe doth, That it is warrantable from Scripture to force Maintenance for Minifters) Pray would he be willing the Papifts, or Church of England fhould take away from him by Force? Surely no: Then I fay that it is an unjust Law, and far from the Nature of that Royal Law, which says, Do to all Men, as you would that they should do unto you; Chrifts fays, This is the Law, and the Prophets. And doubtless the Gofpel falls not fhort of it (though this N. E. Minister doth) tho' I hope it is not the Mind of all in Profeffion with him. Now the Law being unjust, it is no Crime to reject it: Yet for Confcience Sake, and the Lord's Sake, we fubmit to it in paffive Obedience; and it is well known to all that know any thing of the Quakers, that their Principle is against resisting the outward Power.

Next to the Queftion, Whether it be Warrantable from Scripture, and the Doctrine and Practice of Chrift and bis Apostles, to put fuch Labs in Execution, to take from Men, altho the Minifter preaches not to them, for they cannot believe they are fent of God?

This is his great Question, as he states it in his first Page, which he pretends to answer from Scripture, but falls far fhort of it; and he goes on thus:

ift. It is Warrantable from Scripture, &c, that the Inhabitants of each Town hall take due Care, in order to their being fupply'd with a Gofpel Minifter.

Anfwer. This is as foreign from his Queftion, as Rome is from Boston. What is that to the Purpofe? Let the Impartial judge; if he cannot prove a forced Maintenance from Scriptare, he does nothing to his Purpofe, nor according to his grand Question in his Title Page,

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Then

.

Then he goes on to his fecond Affertion, and fays, 2dly, It is Warrantable from Scripture, that Gofpel Minifters be bonourably fupported and maintained: Such Maintenance is a Debt due from the People to the Minifters in ftrict Justice, and not as a meer Act of Charity: For it is the Hire of their Labour, and the Wages of their Work.

Anfwer, Hereby he owns himself, and all that are in his Practice, to be Hirelings, tho' he will not allow, others to call him or them fo, and quotes these Texts of Scripture to prove it, Luke x..7. 2 Cor. xi. 8 Cor ix. 7, 14. Gal. vi. 6. 1 Tim. v. 17, 18. and adds as falfly, and fays,

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"The Argument which the Apostle ufes for the Gen-. "tiles Miniftring to the Jews, reaches this Cafe, Rom. ❝ XV. 27.

Answer. Surely the Man forgets himself, for the Apostle only spoke of a free Collection for the poor Saints at Jerufalem, as in the two foregoing Verfes plainly appears, Verse 25. But now I go to Jerufalem to minifter unto the Saints. Verfe 26. For it hath pleafed them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for the poor Saints at Jerufalem. When will our greedy Priests take fo much Care of the Poor?

As to the Texts of Scripture above quoted, I fhall take the Pains to fet them down at large, that the Reader may fee how they answer his grand Question: For what Purpose he concealed them (in his) in Figures, is best known to himfelf. Truly if he had fet them down at large, it 'muft needs have been plainly manifefted, to every Body that should read them, that he was in the wrong: For they affert no fuch Thing, as he would have them to prove, viz. a forced Maintenance for Gofpel Minifters. The first is Luke x. 7. "And in the fame House remain eating " and drinking fuch Things as they give (What could "be more against him?) for the Labourer is worthy * of his Hire: Go not from Houfe to House; and

1713.

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