N00769:28
A monitory letter about the maintenance [sic] of an able and faithful ministry. Directed…A monitory letter about the maintainance [sic] of an able and faithful ministry. Directed…
A monitory letter about the maintenance [sic] of an able and faithful ministry. Directed unto those people, who sin against, & sin away the Gospel, by not supporting the worthy preachers of the Gospel. : A decree of a national synod of reformed churches at Paris. ...A monitory letter about the maintainance [sic] of an able and faithful ministry. Directed unto those people, who sin against, & sin away the Gospel, by not supporting the worthy preachers of the Gospel. : A decree of a national synod of reformed churches at Paris. ...
Boston, in N.E. : s.n., Printed in the year. 1700
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.
Tis a wonderful Damage, that you do your selves, if it were no more than This; That by taking off your Ministers from their Studies, you S•u•• their Abilities, & Cramp their Accomplishments, & […] the vast Good that would thereby accrue unto your selves. It seems, you would have your Ministers to be th• Stars, rather than the Lamps of the Churches, & like Stars, to Shine, without the supply of any Earthly Contributions: But they are Lamps; and how should they do any other than Burn Dim, if you don't supply them? Antigon•• ⟨p. 15⟩ad•••ing to see, the Diligent Philosopher Clean•hes, grinding his own Corn at the Mil•, Cleanthes told him, I must either grind or Starve: whereupon Antigonus noted it as a great Indignity, that the Hands whereby Excellent Things had been written, should be galled with Mechanic Labours. But how often do the people cause the Hands which have Baptized them, and which break the Bread of Life unto them, to be Galled with Inferior Labours, for the getting of Bread? They must either Plough, or Starve. This must needs render their Ministry, less Edifying, to you, than it would have been. Yea, your Unrighteousness towards your Ministers may be punished by the Righteous God with Spiritual Plagues; and God may give you up to such a Spirit of Slumber, that their Ministry shall never more be Profitable to you: for the most Lively Ministry in the world, will do good no further than that the Blessing of God accompanies it. When people are called upon to Maintain their Ministers, tis added, Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life Everlasting If you begrudge a small Pittance of of your Estates, for the Maintenance of them tha• are to Feed your Spirits, God may be so provoked, as to Resolve, that you shall Reap no Spiritual Advantages from their Ministry, but remain Barren Fig trees, till you are Cut down for the Fire of His Burning Indignation. Yea, Sirs, If ever you did get Good by your Ministers, one would think, you could not think any thing too Good for them!