dues? for if you did serve the Lord Jesus Christ, then you would obey his command, which is, freely you have received, freely give,' and not persecute and cast in prison such as will not put into your mouths; and if your parsonages and rich benefices should be taken away, then it would be seen how many servants Christ would have amongst you?

And Paul preached at Corinth a year and a half, and taught the word of God among them freely. Acts xviii. 11. 1 Cor. i. 9.

And Paul wrought with Priscilla and Aquila at Corinth, who were of the same craft as Paul was of; for their craft was to make tents, and he abode with them as aforesaid: nevertheless Paul preached up and down in the Jews' synagogues, testifying to them that Jesus was the Christ; and now compare your practice with Paul's and Priscilla's and Aquila's, ye priests; for though he was a tradesman, yet he preached the gospel: and this Priscilla and Aquila were both instructors of Apollos concerning Christ, as in Acts xxv. of whom Paul was a minister.

And often you priests have brought Ananias and Sapphira his wife for proof for your maintenance, against such as keep back your tythes, because they kept away part of the price of their goods, and laid it not down at the apostles' feet, which comparison or instance is an unequal weight or measure; for Peter did not desire it, nor the apostles, whilst it remained in their hands they might have kept it all, and not have sold their goods; for the apostles did not desire it, nor coveted any man's gold or silver, but their wilful and wickedly lying against the Holy Ghost, and their agreeing together in lying, brought the judgment of God upon them, and this is nothing for your purpose; but take heed, lest the same judgment overtake you for lying against the spirit of God in your consciences, and doing that which you know you should not, and saying that which you are not, as you may see in Acts v. And whereas you quote,, that the christians sold all their goods in the primitive time, and brought in the price thereof, and laid it down at the apostles' feet; this was a voluntary act in them, it was not done by compulsion from the apostles, nor by their desire, neither was it done altogether for the apostles' use, but for the supply of all such as were in necessity amongst them; and tythes in the time of the law were not for the priests' and the Levites' own use only, but for the widows, strangers, poor, and fatherless.

And in Luke v. 'Jesus entered into the ship which was Simon Peter's and bid him thrust off a little from the land, and Jesus sat down, and taught the people out of the ship; and when he had done speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and let down your nets to make a draught, and they inclosed a multitude of fish, though before they had been toiling all night, and catched nothing; so that their net was ready to break, and they beckoned to their partners which were in the ship, that they should come to help them, who came, and they filled

both their ships, so that they began to sink. Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, Lord go from me, I am a sinful man, for he was utterly astonished, and all that were with him, for the draught of fish which they had taken, and so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon, then Jesus said unto Simon, fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men, and when they brought the fishes to land, they forsook all and followed him,' to wit, Jesus. Here you may see what manner of men were Christ's disciples, fishermen, &c. and Christ preached in Peter's ship, and Peter the fisherman did catch many men according to Christ's words, as when he converted three thousand at one sermon, as in Acts ii. 41.

And the magistrates perceived that Peter and John were unlearned men, and could not read letters, but they took knowledge they had been with Jesus, who is the true teacher, as in Acts iv. 13. If they had been in your days, would not you have mocked at them, as the letter professing Jews did? and do not you do the same to such now?' And Peter and the other disciples did abide with Christ: and after Jesus was risen, there were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didimus, and Nathaniel of Cana, in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples, and Simon Peter said to them, I go a fishing, and they said unto him, we go also with thee; and they went straightway and entered into a ship, and that night caught they nothing, but when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore, and the disciples knew not that it was Jesus, and Jesus said unto them, sirs, have ye any meat, and they answered him no; then he said unto them, cast out the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find; so they cast out, and they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fish; therefore, said the disciple whom Jesus loved, it is the Lord; and when Simon Peter heard that it was Jesus, he girt his fisher's coat unto him; for he was naked, and cast himself into the sea, but the other disciples came in the ship, for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits, and they drew the net with fishes to land.'

Now, you may see here the apostles what plain men they were, and Peter was in his fisher's coat after Christ was risen, who had been a preacher of Christ a great while from his conversion, for several years, till Christ was crucified, who saw Christ's miracle before he was converted, and now again after he was risen, as in John xxi. And so Peter and John, and the other disciples, who had been toiling all night before their conversion, and after Christ was risen, but caught nothing, but at Christ's words they did, even to their astonishment; and that might let them see the truth of Christ's words, that a sparrow should not fall to the ground without the will of the Father, so a fish could not be caught in the net without the will of Christ, by whom all things were made.

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 cat; 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?

6

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,