their lives wounded hereby spilt their innocent blood, by dying in the Some lost filthy noisome holes and prisons. And some of the in nasty priests have been so enraged, that goods thus holes,some ravished could not satisfy them; but they must also satisfy their fury by beating, knocking, and wounding with their hands innocent men and women, for refusing (for conscience' sake) to put into their mouths. by the priests, &c. Whoso heap teachers to themselves, let them The only way then soundly to reform and remove all these abuses, and take away the ground and occasion of them, is, to take away all stinted and forced maintenance and stipends. And whoever call or appoint teachers to themselves, let them accordingly entertain them: and for such as are called and moved to the ministry by the Spirit of vide their God, those that receive them, and taste of the good of their ministry, will no doubt provide things needful for them, and there will be no need of a law. to force a hire for them: for he that sends them, will take care for them; and they also, having food and raiment, will therewith pro stipend. The difference be the Qua kers and their adversaries. be content. XXXIII. The sum then of what is said is, tween the That the ministry that we have pleaded for, and ministry of which also the Lord hath raised up among us is, in all its parts, like the true ministry of the apostles and primitive church. Whereas the ministry our adversaries seek to uphold and plead for, as it doth in all its parts differ from them, so, on the other hand, it is very like the false prophets and teachers testified against and condemned in the scripture, as may be thus briefly illustrated. The true ministers' call. I. The ministry and ministers we plead for, are such as are immediately called and sent forth by Christ and his Spirit unto the work of the ministry: so were the holy apostles and prophets, as appears by these places, Mat. x. 1, 5. Eph. iv. 11. Heb. v. 4. 1. But the ministry and ministers our opposers plead for, are such as have no immediate call from Christ, to whom the leading and motion of the Spirit is not reckoned necessary; but who are called, sent forth, and ordained by wicked and ungodly men: such were of old the false prophets and teachers, as appears by these places, Jer. xiv. 14, 15. item, chap. xxiii. 21. and xxvii. 15. II. The ministers we plead for, are such as are actuated and led by God's spirit, and by the power and operation of his grace in their hearts, are in some measure converted and regenerate, and so are good, holy, and gracious men such were the holy prophets and apostles, as appears from 1 Tim. iii. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Tit. i. 7, 8, 9. 2. But the ministers our adversaries plead for, are such to whom the grace of God is no needful qualification; and so may be true ministers, according to them, though they be ungodly, unholy, and profligate men : such were the false prophets and apostles, as appears from Mic. iii. 5, 11. 1 Tim. vi. 5, 6, 7, 8, &c. ^2 Tim. iii. 2. 2 Pet. ii. 1, 2, 3. True ministers' guide. sters' work, III. The ministers we plead for, are such as act, True minimove, and labour in the work of the ministry, not from their own mere natural strength and ability, but as they are actuated, moved, supported, assisted, and influenced by the Spirit of God, and minister according to the gift received, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God: such were the holy prophets and apostles, Pet. iv. 10, 11. 1 Cor. i. 17. ii. 3, 4, 5, 13. Aets ii. 4. Mat, x. 20. Mark xiii. 11. Luke xii. 12. 1 Cor. xiii. 2. 3. But the ministers our adversaries plead for, are such as wait not for, nor expect, nor need the Spirit of God to actuate and move them in the work of the ministry; but what they do they do from their own mere natural strength and ability, and what they have gathered and stolen from the letter of the scripture, and other books, and so speak it forth in the strength of their own wisdom and eloquence, and not in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power: such were the false True ministers' humility. True min gift. prophets and apostles, as appears, Jer. xxiii. 30, 31, 32, 34, &c. 1 Cor. iv. 18. Jude 16. IV. The ministers we plead for, are such as, being holy and humble, contend not for precedency and priority, but rather strive to prefer one another, and serve one another in love; neither desire to be distinguished from the rest by their garments and large phylacteries, nor seek greetings in the market-places, nor the uppermost places at feasts, nor the chief scats in the synagogues; nor yet to be called of men master, &c. such were the holy prophets and apostles, as appears from Mat. xxiii. 8, 9, 10. and xx. 25, 26, 27. 4. But the ministers our adversaries plead for, are such as strive and contend for superiority, and claim precedency over one another; affecting and ambitiously seeking after the forementioned things: such were the false prophets and apostles in time past, Mat. xxiii. 5, 6, 7. V. The ministers we plead for, are such as having isters' free freely received, freely give; who covet no man's silver, gold, or garments; who seek no man's goods, but seek them, and the salvation of their souls: whose hands supply their own necessities, working honestly for bread to themselves and their families. And, if at any time they be called of God, so as the work of the Lord hinder them from the use of their trades, take what is freely given them by such to whom they have communicated spirituals; and having food and raiment, are therewith content: such were the holy prophets and apostles, as appears from Mat. x. 8. Acts xx. 33, 34, 35. 1 Tim. vi. 8. 5. But the ministers our adversaries plead for, are such as not having freely received, will not freely give; but are covetous, doing that which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake; as to preach for hire, and divine for money, and look for their gain from their quarter, and prepare war against such as put not into their mouths, &c. Greedy dogs, which can never have enough. Shepherds who feed themselves, and not the flock; eating the fat, and clothing themselves with the wool; making merchandise of souls; and following the way of Balaam, that loved the wages of unrighteousness: such were the false prophets and apostles, Isai. lvi. 11. Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3, 8. Mic. iii. 5, 11. Tit. i. 10, 11. 2 Pet. ii. 1, 2, 3, 14, 15. True min And in a word, We are for a holy, spiritual, pure, relie and living ministry, where the ministers are both and quali called, qualified, and ordered, actuated and influ- fications. enced, in all the steps of their ministry by the Spirit of God; which being wanting, we judge they cease to be the ministers of Christ. But they, judging this life, grace, and Spirit no essential part of their ministry, are therefore for the upholding of an human, carnal, dry, barren, fruitless, and dead ministry; of which, alas! we have seen the fruits in the most part of their churches: of whom that saying of the Lord is certainly verified, Jer. xxiii. 32.-I sent them not, nor commanded them, therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD. true wor. ship is, that is acceptable to God How to be performed. PROPOSITION XI. Concerning Worship. What the All true and acceptable worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit, which is neither limited to places, times, nor persons. For though we are to worship him always, and continually to fear before him; yet as to the outward signification thereof, in prayers, praises, or preachings, we ought not to do it in our own will, where and when we will; but where and when we are moved thereunto by the stirring and secret inspiration of the Spirit of God in our hearts; which God heareth and accepteth of, and is never wanting to move us thereunto, when need is; of which he himself is the alone proper judge. All other worship then, both praises, prayers, or preachings, which man sets about in his own will, and at his own appointment, which he can both begin and end at his pleasure, do or leave undone as himself seeth meet, whether they be a prescribed form, as a liturgy, &c. or prayers conceived extempore by the natural strength and faculty of the mind, they are all but superstition, will-worship, and abominable idolatry in the sight of God, which are now to be denied and rejected, and separated from, in this day of his spiritual arising; however it might have pleased him (who winked at the times of ignorance, with a respect to the simplicity and integrity of some, and of his own innocent seed, which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men under that mass of superstition) to blow upon the dead and dry bones, and to raise some breathings of his own, and answer them; and that until the day should more clearly dawn and break forth. Superstition and will-worship, idolatry. §. I. THE duty of man towards God lieth chiefly in these two generals. 1. In an holy conformity to the pure law and light of God, so as both to for |