A27014:336
Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…
Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated, against the reasonings of a confident questionist, in a book called Toleration not abused; with counsel to the nonconformists, and petition to the pious conformists / by one that is consecrated to the sacred ministry, and is resolved not to be a deserter of it ...Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated, against the reasonings of a confident questionist, in a book called Toleration not abused; with counsil to the nonconformists, and petition to the pious conformists / by one that is consecrated to the sacred ministry, and is resolved not to be a deserter of it ...
London : s.n., 1672
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.
Thus, Brethren, you see, I have presumed no higher than to Petition you; And that not to your cost or detriment; nor for our preferment, wealth or ease: We ask you not for food or raiment; We crave from you none of your Dignities, nor Estates: Though when I find this Author dissuading us from our Ministry, because the people are poor, I think that reason might almost as aptly have served to persuade us to live no longer, because the world is too poor to keep us; We do but eat if we preach, and so we must if we do not: And I think it had savoured of no excess of Charity and Ministerial ingenuity, if he had rather said, Brethren, you must perform ⟨p. 135⟩your undertaken Ministry, and we and the peoples souls have need of all your help; And the maintenance is given for the work, Therefore you that work with us, shall have part of the Church maintenance with us, at least a fifth part, as was allowed to the ejected by the Parliament, because the people cannot maintain you, and it is hard to serve God without anxiety, while your families are in want. This had better beseemed our Brethren; but we crave and expect no such thing from you; but only patiently to suffer us to live and labour by you, and let God provide for us as he please.
Thus, Brethren, you see, I have presumed no higher than to Petition you; And that not to your cost or detriment; nor for our preferment, wealth or ease: We aske you not for food or rayment; We crave from you none of your Dignities, nor Estates: Though when I find this Author disswading us from our Ministry, because the people are poor, I think that reason might almost as aptly have served to perswade us to live no longer, because the world is too poor to keep us; We do but eat if we preach, and so we must if we do not: And I think it had savoured of no excess of Charity and Ministerial ingenuity, if he had rather said, Brethren, you must perform ⟨p. 135⟩your undertaken Ministry, and we and the peoples souls have need of all your help; And the maintenance is given for the work, Therefore you that work with us, shall have part of the Church maintenance with us, at least a fifth part, as was allowed to the ejected by the Parliament, because the people cannot maintain you, and it is hard to serve God without anxiety, while your families are in want. This had better beseemed our Brethren; but we crave and expect no such thing from you; but only patiently to suffer us to live and labour by you, and let God provide for us as he please.