A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

Well therefore because our Apostle tells us that our Lord hath Ordained that those who Preach the Gospel shall live on the Gospel, and all Obedience unto his Ordinances and Institutions must be Voluntary, if Ministers are ashamed and esteem it unworthy of them to receive what is so Contributed in a way of Voluntary Obedience, let them try if they can prevail with themselves to receive it so for him, and in his Name, who is not ashamed to receive it, no, if it be only a Cup of cold Water, so it comes from a free and willing Mind, when he despiseth the Revenue of the whole world upon Compulsion. If they will not do so, their best way is to leave his Service and take up with that which is more Honourable. For my part I do judge that the way of Maintenance of Ministers, by Voluntary Benevolence in a way of Duty and Obedience unto Christ, though it be not likely the most Plentiful, is yet the most Honourable of all others. And of this judgment I shall be, until I am convinced of two things. (1.) That true Honour doth not consist in the Respect and Regard of the Minds of Men unto the real ⟨p. 129⟩Worth and Usefulness of those who are Honoured but in outward Ceremonies and forced works of Regard. (2.) That it is not the Duty which every Church owes to Jesus Christ, to maintain those who labour in the Word and Doctrine, according to their Ability; or that it is any Gospel-Duty which is influenced by Force or Compulsion.

Thirdly, It must be acknowledged that this way of Voluntary Contribution is not like to afford matter for that Grandeur and Secular Greatness, those ample Revenues, those Provisions for Ease, Wealth and Worldly Honour, which some think necessary in this case. But yet however it must be granted, that all those large Possessions and Dominions which some now enjoy under the Name of Church-Revenues, were Originally Voluntary Grants and Contributions. For it will not be said that the Clergy got them by Force of Arms, or Fraud, nor were they their Patrimonial Inheritance. But yet I fear, there were some undue Artifices used to induce men unto such Donations and Ecclesiastical Endowments, and somewhat more of Merit fixed thereon than Truth will allow, besides a Compensation therein for what might be undergone in Purgatory when men were gone out of the world. However the thing it self in its whole kind, that men out of their Substance and Revenue should design a Portion unto the Service of the Church, is not to be condemned. But it proved Mischievous and Fatal, when those who received what was so given, being unmeasurably Covetous and Worldly, fixed no Bounds unto the Charity or Superstition of men in this kind, until they had over-run the World with their Gains. And not only so, but whereas there was no pretence of Use of such great Revenues in any way pretended to be of Divine Appointment, they were forced to invent and find out ways innumerable, in Abbeys, Monasteries, Cloisters, to be Repositories of their overflowing Treasure and Revenues. But when God had appointed to Build his Tabernacle of the Free-will Offerings of the People, a Type of the Gospel-Church, when there was Provision enough of Materials brought in, the Liberality of the People was restrained by Proclamation, and some perhaps grieved that their Offerings were not received,