A27001:65
The Quakers catechism, or, The Quakers questioned, their questions answered, and both published for…
The Quakers catechism, or, The Quakers questioned, their questions answered, and both published for the sake of those of them that have not yet sinned unto death and of those ungrounded novices that are most in danger of their seduction / by R[i]chard Baxter.
London: printed by A.M. for Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Qu. 10. When God hath commanded a sufficient maintenance in general, and left it to humane prudence to judge what is sufficient (before they give it;) If then a man shall say [Where doth the Scripture require the Tenths? and you are no true Ministers who take the Tenths;] Is not this as wise as to say, [Though Christ and his Apostles did wear clothes, yet show where any of them preached in doublet, or breeches, or stockings, or else you are false Prophets for wearing these;] Is not this as wise arguing as the other, and to the same purpose?
Qu. 10. When God hath commanded a sufficient maintenance in general, and left it to humane prudence to judge what is sufficient (before they give it;) If then a man shall say [Where doth the Scripture require the Tenths? and you are no true Ministers who take the Tenths;] Is not this as wise as to say, [Though Christ and his Apostles did wear clothes, yet shew where any of them preacht in doublet, or breeches, or stockings, or else you are false Prophets for wearing these;] Is not this as wise arguing as the other, and to the same purpose?
And where you ask us so oft whether the Apostles took the Tenths, I tell you again, they took more, that is, men sold all and laid down the money at their feet. It's true that then the poor also were maintained out of it; And if you will show a Commission to examine us, we will give you an account how far we maintain the poor out of our mere tenth part. In the mean time it's unreasonable, that you demand, that we should so maintain them as to suffer no beggars; For if all that a Minister hath will not maintain twenty poor people if he give it them all, how should he then maintain a hundred with it?
And where you ask us so oft whether the Apostles took the Tenths, I tell you again, they took more, that is, men sold all and laid down the money at their feet. It's true that then the poor also were maintained out of it; And if you will shew a Commission to examine us, we will give you an account how far we maintain the poor out of our meer tenth part. In the mean time it's unreasonable, that you demand, that we should so maintain them as to suffer no beggars; For if all that a Minister hath will not maintain twenty poor people if he give it them all, how should he then maintain a hundred with it?