A47561:79
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
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And now from the whole, this is that we say, 'Tis not to be thought men can arrive to that degree of Light and Knowledge in the deep things of God, and mystery of Christ, so as to preach the Gospel as they ought, unless they dedicate and give themselves up by Prayer and Meditation to the diligent search and Study of the Word of GOD, which cannot be done unless some time be spent, which divers men cannot spare without a due Allowance for their pains and loss of time. And this we say too, is nothing less nor more than what God has Ordained and directly Appointed in this Matter in the⟨p. 62⟩ New Testament, as we have sufficiently proved: But to proceed,
And now from the whole, this is that we say, 'Tis not to be thought men can arrive to that degree of Light and Knowledg in the deep things of God, and mystery of Christ, so as to preach the Gospel as they ought, unless they dedicate and give themselves up by Prayer and Meditation to the dilligent search and Study of the Word of GOD, which cannot be done unless some time be spent, which divers men cannot spare without a due Allowance for their pains and loss of time. And this we say too, is nothing less nor more than what God has Ordained and directly Appointed in this Matter in the⟨p. 62⟩ New Testament, as we have sufficiently proved: But to proceed,
Eleventhly, The great Duty of the People to contribute towards the public Worship of God, and the Ministry may be further demonstrated and the Evil and Sin in their neglect of it evinced, from the Consideration of that sharp reproof, and severe Judgments of God, brought against, and denounced upon the People of Old, upon this very account, so Mal. 3.8. Will a Man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me: The evil of this People lay in this, i. e. In that they did not faithfully bring into his House all those Riches and good Things, which by the Law and Requirement of God they ought to have done, for the carrying on and management of the Service of the Temple, and public Worship of God; they through Covetousness, or a base Carnal and Self-seeking Spirit, did retain and keep back part of these Tithes and Offerings for their own Use, or to enrich themselves, and did not yield them up to the Use and End