A discourse concerning the maintenance due to those that preach the Gospel

I have mentioned these things to show that even in England it self, which is said to excel other Reformed Churches in a ⟨p. 28⟩Liberal Maintenance of the Ministry▪ there has not been that Encouragement to the Gospel, which ought to be. There are many Parishes in England, in which there is no Preaching, because there is not a Competent Maintenance for a Minister: See Mr. Stockton's Life, p. 193. And if I should speak of the Non-Conformists there at this day, very few of their Ministers have (although' some have) an honourable Reward of their Labours. In Scotland the Tithes belong either to the King, or are Appropriated to Gentlemen, so that the Ministry there has but a small Portion out of them. In some parts of Germany, ^(g)especially in Saxony, not only other Seculars, but Military Officers are Maintained out of their Tithes, for which the pretence has been, That they who defend the Church, ought in reason to be supported out of the Ecclesiastical Revenues. Those Ministers who were the great Instruments of the Reformation there, had but a very ⟨p. 29⟩small Stipend, not at all proportionable to their Worth, or to their Work. Luther says, That when he was a Papist, & saw what large Revenues belonged to Ecclesiastical Persons, he marvelled that the Apostle Paul insisted so much on the Maintenance due to the Ministers of the Gospel▪ But after he was a Protestant, he did not wonder at it: For (says he) I saw that although' Men would be very Liberal to Antichrist, they would hardly give Christ a Penny. Luther himself, the most eminent among all the Ministers of the Reformation in Germany, notwithstanding his vast Labours, had but an inconsiderable Salary. At his Death he thus Expressed himself, I thank God for that He would have me live a Poor Indigent Person on the Earth. I have neither House, nor Land, nor Possessions, nor Money. After his Death, his Wife and three Sons were exposed to great wants, and neglected by those whom he had particularly & highly obliged, which ingratitude has sometimes been mentioned to the great dishonour of Protestants: as on the other ⟨p. 30⟩hand, the Senate in Zurick are renowned for their Gratitude towards Peter Martyr, in taking care of his Posterity after his Death. But to proceed, the City of Geneva has been famous for their Profession of the Reformed Religion; but not for their Liberality towards the Preachers of the Gospel.