But here you may see that Peter and John, and the sons of Zebedee, they were fishermen before they were converted, and after Christ was risen, and were partners, and went a fishing together, as in Luke v. and John xxi. And would not such preachers and such disciples be odious now a-days to you priests, as they were to the high priests, and pharisees, and council, and the rulers who cast them in prison, and commanded them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, as you may see in Acts iv. and v. and consulted to slay them, but that Gamaliel moderated the priests and council; and so when they had scourged the apostles they let them go: so here was the fulfilling of Christ's words, who told them before, that for his namesake they should be had before the rulers, and scourged. And now consider, ye that are called ministers and priests, and others, are ye found in the spirit of the apostles, or in the spirit of those that scourged? and does not there want a Gamaliel amongst you to moderate you? and did not the priests and rulers in New-England want a Gamaliel amongst them, to moderate them, when they put our friends to death; and have not the papists and protestants wanted a Gamaliel amongst them, who have caused so many to suffer since the apostles' days, and to say unto you, if it be of God it shall stand, let these men alone, lest ye be found fighters against God?'

Again, consider ye priests and others, and measure yourselves, who say the scripture is your rule, whether you be in the priests' spirit, and Saul's unconverted, with his packet of letters, and from that spirit gave forth such commissions to your souls, to haul and bind the true christians, and bring them to prison; are not such persecutors of Christ's seed, Acts ix. Why persecutest thou me?' and after Saul was converted and became a Paul, did not the unconverted priests and Jews seek to destroy him, and to stone him, as may be seen in Acts xiv. though they were professors of the letter of the old testament, as you are of the letter of the new.

And Paul said, how the chief priests and elders could bear him witness how he persecuted the churches, Acts xxii. and Acts xxiii. it may be seen how the high priests and others were vehement in accusing of him, and in Acts xxv. the high priests and chief of the Jews appeared against Paul; and above forty men had bound themselves with an oath, they would neither eat nor drink till they had destroyed him, and this they told to the chief priests and the elders, and said unto them, 'now therefore, ye (to wit, the chief priests and elders, and the council,) signify to the chief captain, that he bring him forth unto you to-morrow, as though ye would know something more perfectly of Paul.' So see the design of the Jews and chief priests here to kill Paul, which God did prevent; for he had been in profession with them whilst he was a persecutor; but now he was a professor of Christ, what a madness was in them against

Paul, as there was in him against others before his conversion: and now see if you be not in the same spirit and way of madness, that are professors of Christ, but without possession of him, and like Saul and the chief priests, and not like converted Paul; which of these ways are you in? does not your fruits bespeak you? measure yourselves, and try by the scripture, which you say is your rule, which spirit you are guided by. And in 1 Cor. ix. Who goeth a warfare at his own cost? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thercof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk thereof?' And 'thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn, &c. He that plougheth, plougheth in hope, and he that thresheth in hope should be a partaker of his hope: if we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing, if we reap your carnal things, if others with you be partakers of this power, are not we rather? Nevertheless,' saith the apostle, we have not used this power, but suffered all things, that we might not hinder the gospel of Christ.'

Now these are the scriptures ye priests bring for your maintenance; but come, measure yourselves; how can you sow spiritual things, as the apostles did, who say you have not the same spirit and power they had, then can you reap their carnal things; for the apostle had the spiritual flail to thresh God's wheat out of the chaff, the corruptions, the body of death, and the body of sin, which you plead for term of life; and the apostles had the spirit to war the spiritual war, but you that have not the same spirit they had, you cannot war the spiritual war; and they had the spirit of God to plant God's vineyard, and you that have not the same spirit they had, cannot plant such vineyards, and therefore cannot eat the spiritual fruit ; and the apostles with the Holy Ghost, which made them all ministers and overseers, with it did feed the flock, and these might eat of the milk; and the apostles did tread the corn out of the chaff, that he said to some, they were elected before the world began, but you that deny having the same spirit the apostles had, you cannot tread out the corn, and eat of the milk of that flock, which the Holy Ghost oversees; and the apostles had the heavenly plough to turn up the fallow ground, that did not bear fruit unto God; but though the apostles had this heavenly plough to plough withal, the heavenly flail to thresh out the wheat, yet he told the church at Corinth, he had not used his power amongst them, though he had been there amongst them a year and six months.

And now ye that say ye have not the same power and Holy Ghost the apostles had; look what carnal ploughs, flails, and vineyards and flocks ye have; and do not you plough large furrows upon the righteous' backs, and your own ground lies fallow, full of thistles and briars, and your vineyards waste, and you run to other vineyards, and have no fruit in

your vineyards, nor milk in your flocks, but what you lug out by laws; and must not the mouth of the ox be muzzled that doth not tread out the corn? but the apostle would not use his power (who did tread out the corn) amongst them he had begotten and converted, but you will use your power amongst them, ye have neither begotten, nor converted, yea, and cast into prison, if they will not give you maintenance, so, where did the apostles ever do so? measure yourselves. and your practice by the scriptures, which you say is your rule?

And further the apostle saith, they that ministered about the holy things, eat of the things of the temple; and they which wait at the altar are partakers of the altar: so also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel, should live of the gospel; [mark] what was it that the Lord ordained when he sent forth his disciples, what is set before you that eat; for the workman is worthy of his meat; and freely you have received, freely give, this is Christ's first ordination to his ministers, but the apostle saith, ‘I have used none of these things, neither write I these things as before-mentioned, that it should be so done unto me; for it is better for me to die, than that any man should make my rejoicing vain; for though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to rejoice of; for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel; for if I do it willingly, I have a reward, and that was not outward things, for he had denied them before; but if I do it against my will, notwithstanding a dispensation is committed unto me, what is my reward then? verily, that when I preach the gospel, I make the gospel of Christ free without charge, that I abuse not my authority in the gospel.' And now consider ye priests in Christendom, and measure yourselves here with the apostle; have you nothing for preaching the gospel, and yet woe unto you, if you do not preach the gospel? And have you kept the gospel free without charge? is this your reward? and have not you abused the authority of the gospel? let your fruits speak, who say the scripture is your rule for your life and doctrine, therefore try your life and doctrine by it, and see if your gospel be free without charge, as Paul's was; and if it had been so, then you had not spoiled people's goods, and cast them into prison unto death; do not your deeds testify otherwise?

And the apostle saith, Though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all men, that I might win the more.' See, he did not make himself a master, but a servant; try yourselves by this, and see whether this scripture be your rule or no, and whether you are not judged by it, and Christ, and the apostles?

And in 2 Cor. ix. which is the scripture you priests use to bring to prove your maintenance by, where the apostle speaks concerning ministering to the saints, and where he thanks God for his unspeakable gift,

and this is nothing to serve for you to prove your forced maintenance by, and to force a maintenance from people by; for the apostle says, • As every man is persuaded in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, but of a cheerful heart, for God loveth a cheerful giver;' so here the church was left to their freedom; but you dare neither trust God nor the church for your bellies; but try yourselves and your practice by this scripture.

And again, in Phil. iv. you bring this where the apostle saith, 'When I was in Thessalonica, ye sent once and again for my necessity, not that I desired a gift, but I desired the fruit, which may farther abound to your account; now I have received all, and have plenty; I was even filled, after that I had received of Epaphroditus that which came from you, an odour that smelleth sweet, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God, and my God shall fulfil all your necessities through his riches and glory in Jesus Christ.

Now measure yourselves by this scripture, ye priests of Christendom, and see if ye be equal with the apostle, who did not desire a gift; for this is nothing for your purpose to force a maintenance from people by; he desired only the fruits of his vineyard which he had planted, which was as a sweet smelling sacrifice to God; for he learned to be full and to be hungry, and to be abased, and to abound, and also to want, he had learned this lesson of Christ, which ye have not yet learned at your schools, and you are never like to learn it of Christ, if ye say there is no hearing of his voice now a-days.

And in 1 Thes. iv. the apostle writes, and saith, That ye study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we command you, and that you behave yourselves honestly towards them that be without, and that nothing be lacking among you.' . And in 2 Thes. iii. We are persuaded of you through the Lord, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you, for ye yourselves know how that ye ought to follow us; for we behaved not ourselves inordinately amongst you [mark] neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but we wrought with our hands, and travelled night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you, not but that we had authority, but that we might make ourselves an example for you to follow us; for even when we were with you, this we warned you of, that if there were any that would not work, he should not eat; for we heard that there are some that walk among you inordinately, and work not at all, but are busy bodies; therefore, they that are such we command [mark,] and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness, and eat their own bread.'

Come, all ye priests and teachers in Christendom, measure yourselves here, and try yourselves whether ye observe the apostles' command

here, and have him for your example, and whether ye be the successors of him in his example; the apostle did choose to work day and night, rather than he would be chargeable to the church; but are not you chargeable, that throw in prison and spoil people's goods that ye do not preach to how dare you say the scripture is your rule, and that you are successors to the apostles, when your lives and practice speak quite contrary and you are to study to be quiet, and with quietness to eat your own bread, and not another man's, and especially them that ye do no work for; for you would think it an unreasonable thing for a tradesman to come unto you for money for his ware, from whom you had no work, and force you to give him money for it, or to throw you into prison? and then is it not as strange for you to ask people for money, that have had none of your ware, and if they will not give it you throw them into prison? is this your studying to be quiet, and labouring with your own hands, and eating your own bread with quietness? I think not; and doth not the apostle say, if any man obey not our sayings or command, mark, [or note,] him, and have, no company with him that he may be ashamed;' mark this all ye that disobey Christ's and the apostle's command also.

In 1 Tim. iii. 1. This is a true saying, 'if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work:' so now ye bishops and elders, who say the scripture is your rule, come and be tried by this scripture, you that desire this office, this good work.

First. A bishop must be unreprovable and blameless; are you so?

Secondly. He must be the husband of one wife, watching, sober, modest, given to hospitality, apt to teach:' now mark, are ye found in these practises? let your fruits and the consciences of people speak.

Thirdly. Not given to wine, no striker, [mark, no striker nor persecutor,] not given to filthy lucre, but gentle, no flatterers, not covetous;' so consider, ye bishops in Christendom; are ye no strikers, not given to wine nor filthy lucre? are you gentle and not covetous, nor fighters? let the country and your consciences, and your fruits speak, and God and the scripture judge.

Further, a bishop must be one that can rule his own house honestly, having children under obedience with all honesty; for if he cannot rule his own house, how shall he take care for the church of God; he must not be a young scholar, lest he be puffed up; he must also be well reported of them which are without, lest he fall into rebuke and snare of the devil.

And now come try yourselves, ye bishops, by these scriptures; do you rule your own house well? are your children under obedience with all honesty? look into your families; are you no fighters nor strikers? are you not covetous, and given to filthy lucre? and if ye cannot rule your VOL. V.-6