N00442:132
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which…
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold heresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extreme ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold haeresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extream ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
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.
Do not think that your Ministers are more Burdens than Blessings among you. No man that contributes Liberally towards the Maintenance of the Ministry, finds himself at the years end, a penny the poorer for it; but a secret Influence of Heaven prospers the Affairs of such a man: while they that go to withhold more than is meet, prove but Penny wise, and Pound foolish, at the last. Some little Towns in this Country, that have been at the most considerable Expenses for their Ministry, are upon observation, the most Thriving Towns in the Country; and the Israelites were but Enriched upon it, when the Tribe of Levi, which was not a fortieth part of the people, had as much Maintenance as Three of the Twelve Tribes beside. Pray consult, Mal. 3.9, •0. Ye are cursed with a Curse, for ye have Robbed ⟨p. 99⟩me. Let there be Meat in my House, and prove me now herewith, if I do not pour them out a Blessing. The Ministers of the New Testament, are as worthy Men, as those under the Old; and yet if they might have a quarter part of what the Levites had, it would help them to attend upon their work, without such Distraction in them, as is now too often unprofitable to their Hearers. But if Moses took such care for his Ministers, may we think that Jesus (the Son over His House) takes no care at all for His? The Holy God will blast the Spirit, as well as the Estate of that man, who shall not confess that a Portion of his Estate, more peculiarly belongs unto the Lord; indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek, may well challenge those which Abraham owned as the Rights of Melchizedek; now, let the Ministers of our Lord Jesus, receive but Half of those Rents, and it will more than satisfy them; yea, 'twill be upon Experience found, That the Souls of them that are most Liberal this way, are for Grace and Joy the Fattest, in the Congregation; God makes His Word most useful to them that most Encourage it. But if after all, you will think, that the Families of Ministers who wast their Lives for your Souls, must not have Bread enough to keep Life and Soul together in them, or if those grievous Wolves that Lead the Modern Heretics, must have a Muzzle clapped upon the Oxen which Tread out ⟨p. 100⟩the Corn; pray, contrive some honest way to get those Texts out of the Bible;