A47561:56
The gospel minister's maintenance vindicated Wherein, a regular ministry in the churches, is first…
The gospel minister's maintenance vindicated Wherein, a regular ministry in the churches, is first asserted, and the objections against a Gospel maintenance for ministers, answered. Also, the dignity, necessity, difficulty, use and excellency of the ministry of Christ is opened. Likewise, the nature and weightiness of that sacred work and office clearly evinced. Recommended to the baptized congregations, by several elders in and about the City of London.The gospel minister's maintenance vindicated Wherein, a regular ministry in the churches, is first asserted, and the objections against a Gospel maintenance for ministers, answered. Also, the dignity, necessity, difficulty, use and excellency of the ministry of Christ is opened. Likewise, the nature and vveghtiness of that sacred vvork and office clearly evinc'd. Recommended to the baptized congregations, by several elders in and about the City of London.
London : printed, and are to be sold by John Harris at the Harrow, in the Poultry, 1689London : printed, and are to be sold by John Harris at the Harrow, in the Poultrey, 1689
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.
Nothing, doubtless, but real necessity may dispense with the contrary, h• whole time and strength is little enough to be employed in the Wor• and Service he is called to. Let th• things be the business of thy Thoughts, a• take care of them, be in them; so it is […] the Greek (as our Annotators observ• Let them be thy whole Work. He m• saith one, give himself up to the Min• stry⟨p. 27⟩of the Word and Prayer, and continue in reading Meditation, &c. as a Man wholly devoted unto Gospel Service; and is therefore by his Call to the Ministry secluded from those ways and means of providing for his own Subsistence, as Trades and Secular Employments of others furnish them with; that his Mind by the cares of Worldly Business may not be diverted from the Study of God's Word, and care of Souls, which the duty of his Station engageth him to. And if he may not expose himself to the careful Thoughts that accompany worldly Business, though tending to his Profit; certainly it is no way meet that he should be left to conflict with the Thorny Cares of a necessitous Condition, whilst those he Ministers •o, have means to prevent it: doubtless •he Holy God Ordained the Mini•ers Maintenance upon most weighty Grounds and Reasons; some of which, •lessed be His Name, he hath not concealed or hid from us; and this ⟨p. 28⟩we say seem to us to be one among• the rest, viz. That his Mind and Thought• might not be diverted from his Work wit• Earthly Things.
Nothing, doubtless, but real necessity may dispense with the contrary, h• whole time and strength is little enough to be imployed in the Wor and Service he is called to. Let th things be the business of thy Thoughts, a take care of them, be in them; so it is the Greek (as our Annotators observ Let them be thy whole Work. He m saith one, give himself up to the Min stry