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nistry as unable to contribute their spiritual to the general service: for it is possible, that the means of one party may be too carnal or too scant as well as those of the other. And with regard also to the investment of such quota or subscription; whether it should be more absolute and unconditional on one side than on the other, and while on one side it is only secured on the grace and good will of the subject, a portion of land or some other solid basis. should be set off as an additional security on the other, are points that have been and may be seriously disputed, but not on this precious occasion. Let it only be remembered, that the objects of an ecclesiastical revenue either way are of more importance than the revenue itself; as the life is more than meat, and the body than raiment (Matt. vi. 25): the said objects being too distinctly, v. g. on one side twofold, or the church and poor: on the other indivisible, as all the elect people of God. With the first-named church and poor, are included of course their respective places and other accommodations: and these altogether, i. e. the church and poor with their places and things were also the original objects of the piety of the Christian Church; of which two parties, the former soon began to have the largest share in the establishment, but the latter has the largest now in some countries, and is like to increase it also continually, if new restrictions be not thought of, or ancient doctrines be not again enforced, until our Saviour's precept on that head (Matt. xix. 21), shall be more extensively fulfilled than he probably intended; and the majority or main of the elect shall hardly be distinguishable from that overgrown branch.

For the rule of forsaking all for Christ could never have been proposed by him as a duty incumbent on all his followers, or as a general duty at any period of his institution. Else what should eventually become of the helpless poor and also of the laborious, if our principal miners, manufacturers, agriculturists, and others should throw up all their means of employment, and employment with them

of course; or in other words, if they should sell what they have, and give the produce to the poor? It may be well for the poor, that instead of doing this, industrious capitalists seem more disposed to keep what they have and increase it. But the probability is, that our Saviour's self-denying ordinance here alluded to was only intended for the ministry in a literal sense; though it might apply to the whole church substantially, meaning that we should not any of us be slavishly addicted to wealth, but "ready to give and glad to distribute" (Tim. I. vi. 18) of the same to others. And when " Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee" (Mark x. 28), he could only have meant, that himself and the other apostles had left all for Christ; and not the multitude of believers: for that could not have answered one good purpose; but this might many. Among other good purposes, e. g. such a renunciation of temporal advantages might be very, essential to the equality of brotherhood, which ought to subsist among persons of the same calling and acting under the same direction, by reason of the unfavourable influence of such advantages in a relation of this kind so that we might infer, if it was only herefrom, the views of Providence in this behalf. "For the rod of the ungodly cometh not into the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put their hands unto wickedness" (Ps. cxxv. 3). It is hard to hold back with the rod in our hand: it is hard to resist the motions of pride when backed by opportunity; and Christianity, as the genius of freedom, is therefore very consistent in enjoining even poverty to its special professors, that their sentiments might not by a common interest be biassed in favour of oppression; as people naturally incline to the cause of their quality or kind.

If therefore a distinction of orders should be thought. necessary in the church for its internal administration and more effectual co-operation, it would not follow that there: should be a distinction of circumstances; or such a distinction however, as would leave more wealth at the dis

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posal of one than of another, even if one had double or treble the other's income: it would not for the sake of the parties themselves; that their spiritual services might rather be repaid in kind, as well as on account of the evil influence of what may be called wealth in the church before mentioned all receiving not in proportion to their respective merits from men, but from men according to their lawful occasions, and according to their merits from God.

Moderation in the revenue of a Christian ministry is as imperative as its adequacy, as far as may be, to proper demands. It is particularly remarkable, as showing the wisdom of our Saviour's institution, how many ways the smallness of the pittance that he allowed to his apostles and their successors in the consolidation or direction of the ministry is advantageous to its effect, and how terribly the same is impeded by a fixed or independent and immoderate income. One instance of this has been mentioned already, in its promoting harmony and equality among ministers; and another may be mentioned, in its lessening what for them would be an improper responsibility.

And we need not suppose a misapplication of means in the case, to support this position: we may suppose the best application that we can, and still find harm enough in the responsibility that such means will create, a responsibility most unfavourable to the duties of a spiritual trust; and to be blamed, even when it arises only from a passive acquiescence in the party, without his either seeking or striving for it. For so it was determined in a pure synod of the apostles, and the first that they are known to have held; when the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, “IT IS NOT REASON, THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE THE WORD OF GOD AND SERVE TABLES (Acts vi. 2). No more was it, that the apostles should be served like noblemen.

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That an ampler revenue was allowed to the ministry by their master from the time of his departure than he allowed them before, is very probable, from the circumstance

of the wants of his church being miraculously supplied during his presence in cases of need: and the same may be also inferred from that saying of the Lord to his disciples after asking them, "when I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? and they said, nothing. But now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" (Luke xxii. 35, 36.) The case was now going to be changed: though not so soon as Peter expected, nor yet in the way contemplated by some of his successors. The purse and scrip were to be established in due time on the security of the state; but not to swallow it up whole, or three-tenths of it at least, like Daniel's "LITTLE HORN; WHICH HOWEVER HAD A MOUTH SPEAKING GREAT THINGS" (Dan. vii. 8).

The quality of the first ordination in the church was that of a self-supporting ministry: which, if it had not been continually weakened by persecution, might soon have come to subsist without a necessity of stooping either to manual labour, or to any other sort of secular employment. At the same time it might be a great trial for any man's virtue, however ambitious of perfection, to sell what he had; and after giving a surplus of the produce to the second object of the Christian institution, to fare with the first, as hardly as its founder, on the pittance that was left: such a sacrifice as that, if very considerable too in its amount, might be too great even for one who had kept all the commandments from his youth up (Matt. xix. 16, &c). But if, after leaving all for Christ, throwing up his trade, customers, and all; or if it were only a manual employment, an apostle could still trust generally to the fruit of his own labour and industry under Divine Providence, without pressing much on the fund to which he had given all, such a trust would be great indeed; yet is not without precedent in the example of St. Paul: who must have bestowed the greater part of his substance in this manner, and without claiming a maintenance thereafter from the

ecclesiastical fund; as appears both from the account of his acts (Acts xviii. 3), and also from his striking farewell to the bishop and elders of the church at Miletus, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, &c. . . . I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel; yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things; how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak; and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Ib. xx. 28, &c.).

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If any man, by taxing his own industry or ingenuity, can find the way to assist a neighbour in distress, it is well: but if a man should tax his neighbour for such a purpose, whose charity would that be? and above all things to tax him severely, that his spiritual pastor might have the means of showing hospitality, and leading subscriptions if he chose it! What were this, but to mingle heaven and earth; as the proper subscription of a spiritual pastor must be of a spiritual kind, if he be suitably endowed? Silver and gold have I none (said St. Peter to the man who was lame from his mother's womb)-Silver and gold have I none (said he), but such as I have, give I thee: IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, RISE UP AND WALK” (Acts iii. 6). This was a spiritual donation; but silver and gold, the means of showing hospitality, &c., are temporal and material: this was a gift from above; the other is one from beneath. Surely, therefore, ministers may be satisfied, and satisfy their congregations too, if they have their gifts in the higher department, without involving themselves or being involved in the trammels of the lower.

2. It is not, however, for the sake of hospitality nor of any other benevolent practice that wealth is usually desired

VOL. I.

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