Christianity Restored To Its Primitive PURITY, Or the Mercenary Church Reformed; Being an Abstract of a SERMON, PREACHED At Oak-wood Chapel in Surry, and at the Abbey Church in Bath June the 27th. 1699. Showing that all true Pastors must Preach Freely. By Jos. Perkins. The Priests Preach for Hire, and the Prophet's divine for reward, and yet they say, is not the Lord among us? Mica. 3.11. LONDON. Printed for the Author, MDCXCIX. The PREFACE TO THE READER. THe Church of England for about Twenty Years has Compelled me to Preach Freely, or for little or nothing, and now some of them blame me for what they themselves have taught me. Must I still be a constant Practitioner of this faculty of Preaching Freely, and never become Proffessor of the same? I have been compelled to Preach for nothing many Years, and now by long Practice I have gotten an habit of it: And what I then did by constraint, I now do voluntarily: and therefore I hope, 'tis an acceptable service unto God, as being a freewill offering. Here my Adversaries urge, that I was not compelled to Preach for nothing: for no man compelled me to Preach at all: And many have advised me to throw off my Gown, and take up some other employment. I answer, that tho' no Man, yet God's commands, and my own duty and Conscience compel me to Preach, (for woe be to me if I Preach not the Gospel) But ye by denying me any reward, tho' you have not simply compelled me to Preach, yet have you compelled me to Preach for Nothing. For being in this Calling, I must therein abide with Christ, tho' you deny me a disciples reward, and thereby compel me to get my living by making Verses, as St. Paul did by making Tents. You upbraid me, that ' its not fit to make Poetry a Trade to get one's living by. I answer 'tis not fit to make Preaching a Trade to get one's living by neither: But of the two I had rather be a mercenary Poet, than a mercenary Preacher. But what reason is this, to muzzle up the mouth of the Ox, that is, not suffer me to live by the Altar, and yet endeavour to hinder me from provideing for me and my Children some other way? Ye have cast me out into the Sea of this World without Cork or Bladder on purpose to Drown me; But thanks be to God, I can now Swim without either, that is, Preach without any reward to support me: And now being thus Skilled in the Art of Preaching Freely, I must teach my Brethren to do so too. When thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren. Jos. Perkins. Acts, 20. v. 33. I have coveted no man's Silver or Gold or Apparel. That all true Pastors ought to Preach Freely, not for Hire or reward. WE have Christ's express command for it Mat. 10. v. 8. [Freely ye have received, Freely give] which command the Apostles observed by Preaching the Gospel Freely; without respect to any Reward. By which means Christ and his Apostles were very Poor, and lived by Alms. Yet these poor men planted Christianity in the World, which Rich Churchmen by their Covetousness have almost rooted out again. Christ the Eternal wisdom of the Father knew well enough that his Religion could not be planted or propagated, if there lay any Suspicion of Covetousness on the Preachers thereof. It was the sincerity of the Apostles that added authority to their Words; and therefore St. Paul does so often clear himself from the Suspicion of Covetousness, [I have coveted no man's silver, or gold or apparel. Act. 20.33. Neither at any time used we a Cloak of Covetousness, God is witness. 1 Thes. 2.5. He calls God to witness, which surely he would not do (saith Bp. Sanderson) nisi dignus vindice nodus, if it did not highly concern him to stand clear in the eye of the World in that behalf. He wrought with his own hands for his living that he might not be burdensome to those, to whom he Freely Preached the Gospel. (2. Thes. 3.8.) but that they might know he aimed only (as every other true Pastor does) at the benefit of their Souls, and nothing at all at his own worldly ends: for thus he saith, I seek not yours but you: not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many that they may be saved. And again whether those that grasp together Pluralities of live and seek to get into the richest Parsonages, are of St. Paul's mind or no, I leave the World to Judge. But if they are not of St. Paul's mind, they are not worthy to be Christ's Messengers. The Servant is not greater than his Lord, nor the Disciple greater than his Master. Christ had not where to lay his Head, lived by Alms, went about on Foot, and had not a piece of Money to pay Caesar his due, but what he got by working a Miracle. Many of our Pluralists, etc. Live in stately Palaces, ride in glorious Chariots, and have of the Church's Revenues some 500 l. some 1000 l. some many Thousands a year. And all this they have as a Reward for the good service they do in the Church. This is their Hire: And Christ himself saith the Labourer is worthy of his Hire. Very right. But what is meant by Hire there? You may see, Mat. 10, v. 10. where it is explained thus [the Workman is worthy of his Meat.] and this is the Hire Christ allowed his Apostles: and this was reward enough to satisfy an Apostle, because they had the grace of God, which was sufficient for them: But without that, 1000 l. a year is not enough to satiate the desires of some of our Preachers, Food and Raiment is an Apostles Hire: If our Preachers (by what names or Titles soever dignified or distinguished, etc.) can do the work better than Christ and his Apostles did, then let them in God's name expect a better reward than they had. I presume, St. Peter deserved as good Preferment as any Bp. in Christendom, yet saith he, Silver and Gold have I none: And I believe, none he desired, but was content with what his Master allowed him, viz. his Food a slender reward: And yet as slender as this reward was, the Apostles did not do the work for the sake of this reward neither. For no man can be so foolish as to think that the holy Apostles went up and down to Preach for Victuals, and to get their Living (as many amongst us do get into the Priest's Office that they may eat a piece of Bread) this Mercenary Trade of Preaching for Victuals had been beneath an Apostolic Spirit. No: they did it Freely without regard to so much as the Bread they Eat. If they had been such mean Hirelings as this, they had been altogether unworthy to be called Apostles. This Hire came by the by, and was not at all in their intentions; according to that saying of our Lord, First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (Food and Raiment) shall be added unto you. Nay so far were they from seeking to get their Live by the exercise of their Office, that they lost their very Lives for the same. And Christ proposeth to his followers not preferment, but Persecutions: Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves. I do not here condemn all that take Money of their Congregations. It is one thing to take their rewards, and another thing to Preach and Pray for the sake of the reward. St. Paul himself sometimes took their Charity, when he knew he might safely do it without danger of being thought covetous: Yet was he always very careful, as to keep his Conscience clear from the Evil, so to keep his credit from all appearance of it. When we have so far wrought our selves into the good opinion of our People that they do not suspect us guilty of Covetousness. Then may we safely take their Charitable relief for the supply of our necessities. But when the honour of God and the safety of Souls lie at stake, and the taking of money breeds a strong suspicion in men that we are Covetous, and that Preaching and Praying is but Priest Craft, and a means only to enrich ourselves by, we are then bound in Conscience to be very spareing in takeing their Alms, that so we may refrain from all appearance of evil. If we will do the work of God sincerely, we must overlook all Rewards, and suffer no mixture of self Love to mingle with and corrupt our pure intentions. That so all men may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. I have not written thess things to hinder the true Pastor from his Reward; For the Labourer is worthy of his Hire. But than it must be the Labourer, and not the Loiterer. He that does not Work, neither should he Eat. The greedy Pluralist then that does not the Work, but keeps Journeymen Curates to Work for him, does not deserve so much as the Bread he Eats. And yet commonly, he that works least, devours the most. This is the common Practice in the present Church, to make Preaching and Praying a mercenary Trade for Gain, and to keep Journeymen Curates. That which was Ordained of Christ as a means to draw men's Minds off from the World, Is itself become (through the cunning of Satan) a mercenary Trade to gain the World? Preaching and Praying are perverted from their right End, not to gain Souls, but to gain the World. The Disciples did forsake the World to follow Christ: These follow Christ for the sake of the World, or rather forsake him like Demas, to embrace the present World. Christ made his Apostles Fishers of Men: Satan has made these greedy Pluralists Fishers of Money. If these Men were as good Christians as the Apostles they would be content with as small an Allowance as they were: But as far short as they come of them in Goodness, so far would they surpass them in Greatness. Nay were they as good Men as the Heathen Poet, they would be content with Food and Raiment, (as the Apostle also exhorteth) — Mensura tamen quae Sufficiat censûs siquis me consulat, edam: In quantum sit is atque fames & frigora poscunt. Juvenal. He that aims at the wrong End, must needs err all the Way, and he that aims at Honour or Profit by the Ministry, aims at the wrong End. He that desireth the Office of a Bishop desireth a good work, says the Apostle, he speaks only of the Office and the Work, not the Reward. Some indeed do desire the Office and the Work, but as a Means only to attain a further End, namely to get Riches. But this is a base Desire and far unworthy an Apostolic Spirit. And that this is the aim of many in the present Church of England, may appear by this, that when they have attained the End they aimed at, viz. Preferment, they then make but little use of the means, Preaching Praying &c. according to the old Maxim: Acquisito fine cessant media. Just like that Cardinal, who to make show of Humility and Poverty of spirit, was wont to spread his Table with a Fishing net; but when he came to be Pope he presently left off the Fishing net, and being asked why he left off St. Peter's net, he readily answered, he had already caught the Fish, meaning the Popedom. And many of our Church men do the like at present, when they have gotten the thing they aimed at, Preferment, they usually neglect the Office and the Work: Perhaps employ some underling Curate to do the work for them, allowing him some petty Wages for the same, reserving the greatest Share to themselves for doing little or nothing: Whereas the Labourer and not the Loiterer is worthy of his Hire. But what reason is this, that one man should do the Work, and another reap the Profit? To argue the Case a little with you, whosoever you are that employ Journey men Curates. If the Curate does the Work, for which the Parsonage is given as a Reward, why should not he have all the Reward that does all the Work? But we suppose that the Curate is not so good a Preacher as the Rector. I answer, you Pluralists are the more to blame for employing such Persons in a Business of so high a concern, as the saving of Souls, that is not so well qualified for the Work as yourselves are. If he be worthy of the Office, I think he is worthier of the Reward, than he that does nothing at all, or but seldom Preaches. If those idle Pluralists that employ Curates, would advance the best men they could to their Cures, it were the more tolerable. But alas! it concerns the Pluralist for his own Credit to provide a Journey man Curate that does the Work worse than himself. They always aim to employ greater Dunces than themselves, or like themselves, according to the Proverb, Similis simili, & similes habent labra lactucas. They consider that it would be a Shame for them to be out done by the Curate; and therefore some of them have taken occasion, to dismiss their Curates for Preaching without Book, whatever other Pretence they might have. They are jealous of a witty Curate, lest he should carry the Glory and the Praise, of which they are no less Ambitious, than Covetous of the Gain. Thus Juvenal could not endure a learned Wife, [ut solaecismum liceat fecisse Marito] and the Indian Queen would admit no beautiful Women into her Court and Service, lest Joan should be preferred before my Lady. Now then supposing we are to Preach and Pray for Hire or Reward, (which I do deny) What encouragement is here for Virtue and Learning in the present Church of England, when better Scholars are rejected, and worse admitted into Curacies? Yet thus it is: Learned and Eloquent men do usually place dull sorry Curates to supply their Places, that so the Parishioners may the more admire their Doctor, who Preaches tho' but seldom, yet abundantly better than the Curate. They know the Maxim very well Contraria inter se posita magis elucescunt. Therefore that the People may have a better Opinion of their Doctor than of the Curate, it concerns the Doctor to provide a Curate that Preaches worse than himself. All Artificers, as Shoemakers, Tailors etc. readily employ such Journey men as are most ingenious in their Craft: But alas! 'tis quite otherwise in Priest-craft: There the Pluralist in the matter of men's Souls, employ such Journey men Curates as are always worse than themselves. Here I could instance in several Particulars, but I spare their Names, one of whom has thrust in a Thorn into his Cure, to stop the Gap, a sorry Fence, God knows, to keep the Devil out of his Parish. And if Learned Men employ such sorry Curates, What can we expect from such as have but little Learning? And yet that there are many Dunces advanced to Dignities and Pluralities, is an undeniable and palpable Truth. It is obvious to every understanding Man's Knowledge and Observation, That by Bribery, Simony, Affinity, Consanguinity, by Favour, Friendship and base Partiality, very indifferent Scholars, and worse Preachers, are hoisted up into eminent. Places in the present Church, whilst others that have more Honesty and better Learning, are in a low and mean Condition. And thus it comes to pass sometimes. A Gentleman has a Presentation of a Living: He breeds up one of his Sons at School; his Son proves a Dunce, yet for his Fees gets a Degree and Orders, and then is Presented, Instituted and Inducted into the Living, which another deserves ten times better. Another Marries the Patron's Daughter or Kinswoman, or cracked Chambermaid, and so climbs up into the Fold by S— k Simony: Very few or none come into Preferment for their Deservings; and then they employ Curates like themselves; and then the Church of God is like to be well served. To prevent these and many other Abuses, I wish that nothing were settled upon the Church by Law, but that every Parishioner might give the Minister what he pleased; and that the Ministers would think that Christ's Command to the Apostle, concerned them too, Freely ye have received, Freely give: Were it thus, none but Religious and Devout Persons would put themselves forward into the Ministry: But now, Preferment being settled upon the Church, he that can get it has it, whether he deserves it or no. The Riches of the Church are a Bait for Covetousness to By't at; and the more Covetous and Ambitious any Man is, the more forward is he to thrust himself into the Ministry, on purpose to serve his own base Ends. For when there is striving for greater Live, and fat Parsonages, and but little seeking for Poor ones, any Man may easily judge, whether they seek the Flock or the Fleece, the Salvation of Souls or their own Gain. It is reported in Baker's Chronicles, That the Prior of a certain Convent in England being dead, many of the Monks made great Interest to the King, to get to be Prior: But the King took notice of one Poor Monk who never sought at all for this Dignity; and asked him, Brother what wilt thou give me to be Prior? not one Farthing said the Monk, for I can serve God as well, (and with more ease) with what allowance I have already, as if I were a Prior, Well then, replied the King, I think thou art the fittest man to be Prior, and thou shalt be Prior. And certainly that man best deserves to be a Priest, or Bishop, that least desires the Profit; and he that desires it at all, deserves it not at all. He that makes Divinity a Step to raise his Fortune by, is altogether unworthy of that high and honourable Office. And yet alas! the World is overspread with these Locusts, who make Preaching and Praying the servile Instruments and Trades to get Riches by. The present Church of England, is quite different from the Christian Church in the Apostles times, when they Preached Freely, (as Christ commanded them) and their Flocks as Freely supported their Pastors, Here was no pulling and haling of Duties, from the Congregation by quarrelsome Suits of Law, but all of them resembled God their Father in giving Freely to each other, the Pastor his Spiritual to his Flock, and they again as Freely their Temporal to their Pastor, without the least strife or constraint. God grant to us the same Spirit, that we may be not only Professors of Christianity, but Christians indeed, and make it appear by our Works, that we have not only the show, but the power of Godliness. Now let us consider the ill consequences and effects of this mercenary Trade of Preaching for gain. All that do this, are Hirelings, and therefore no true Shepherds: And Christ tells us, that the Hireling fleeth when he seethe the Wolf coming, because he is but a Hireling: and so the Wolf scatters and devours the Sheep, Just so do all mercenary Preachers, seeing the Wolf of Popery or Persecution coming, presently fly from their own principals, giving way to the Wolf. For what cares the Hireling so long as he has his Hire? He matters not which Master he serves, God, or Satan. Whereas he that is content to Preach Freely, and has no Preferment to lose, has no temptation on him, to make him tack about every time the wind Turns, like the Vicar of Bray, but stands immovable like a Rock in the midst of the Waves of this troublesome World. This mercenary Preaching for gain, hath caused a very great decay of Piety and Religion amongst all men. For men observing the minds of their Teachers set upon this World, are apt to believe that there is no other World, and that the Resurrection, a future State, Heaven and Hell, are but Chimaeras and Fables invented by Priests, as I have heard an Atheist affirm, who told me, One bird in hand (meaning the present Life) is better than two in the bush, (meaning the Life to come) I am afraid that the Covetousness of Churchmen Embracing this present World, has most powerfully taught Atheism and Irreligion, Their Examples overthrow their Doctrine. Quid verba audio, facta cum video? 'tis in vain to Preach against Covetousness, (which no man that has his mouth stopped with 2 or 3 Steeples (can well do) if it appear that our very Preaching is but a means to gain Riches, and an effect of Covetousness itself. This Preaching for filthy Lucre has in a great measure evacuated, enervated, and made void the Gospel of Christ, so that it cannot have that influence upon the Hearts of men as it had in the primitive times, when it was sincerely Preached, without any other design save the honour of God, and the Salvation of Souls. And it will never recover its strength and efficacy again, till it be Preached by such Persons as have indeed renounced the World, and show the same heroic and Apostolic Spirit, that was in St. Paul and the other Apostles, who had not an Eye to the World, but only to God and his truth. He that pretends he aims at both, the saving of Souls, and his own gain, seems to me as strange a Prodigy as Janus, having two Faces that look East and West at the same time. For who can look at two objects so directly opposite as God, and the World? 'tis the intention that has the greatest force to render an action good or evil. If in our Sermons we aim at Profit or applause, or any thing save the glory of God, and the benefit of Soul's, then are our affections insincere, and will prove as unacceptable to God, as unprofitable to men. If thine Eye be evil, thy whole body is full of darkness. If the intention be naught, all is naught. They that follow Christ, and Preach for the sake of gain, and to grow Rich by the Church revenues, are like Judas, who followed Christ, that he might get something by him. The other Apostles forsook all to follow Christ: but Judas followed him for the sake of gain. First he got to be Purser, and to carry the Poors bag, (the Treasure of the Church) from whence he was wont sacrilegiously to filch and steal, and at last sold his master outright for ready money. Just so do all covetous Church men creep into the Church, on purpose to enrich themselves by the Church's revenues, and when they can get nothing any longer by defending the truth, you may observe them to fly from the truth, and deny their own Principles. When they are like to come to any loss for Christ's sake, they will readily betray his truth either by silence or contradiction. But he that Preaches Freely, is safe from being tempted to be a Turncoat, or a , or man-pleaser. He that Preaches Freely in this sense, may also Preach Freely in another sense, that is to say, with greater freedom and Liberty of Speech, than the hireling, who is afraid to speak the whole truth for fear of displeasing men, and so losing his Hire. Brave and noble was the intention of Hannah, in dedicating her young Son Samuel to the Lord, not to get his living by his service at the Altar: Base and ignoble are the intentions of all those parents, who breed up their Sons at Schools and Universities, on purpose to provide for them in the World, and to raise their Fortunes by the treasure of the Church, by bestowing on them such live as they have in their own gift: by which means those that are far fit for the Office, are shut out. As for Simony (falsely so called) who knows, not that it is a common practice in the present Church? Can it be imagined by any thinking man that a Patron, who gives a great sum of money for the advowson of a Living, will be so simple as to give a Presentation for nothing. No: He that buys the Devil (as we say in the proverb) must sell the Devil too. And then the worst man must have it: For no good man will be guilty of Simony and Perjury withal, for the sake of the best Living in the world. We all justly condemn that Cardinal who gave himself to the Devil to be Pope: But he is a worse fool that gives his money to the Patron, and his Soul to the Devil by Perjury, for the sake of a Parsonage or Vicarage. And when we observe that mere Ignoramus's are in great Live, and wiser men shut out, every one of sense may well imagine, that not their virtue, but their money, advanced them to the same: and then the Church is like to be served well, when he that should Preach against covetousness, Perjury and simony, is himself a covetous Perjured simonist, and deserves rather to stand in a Pillory than a Pulpit. Alas! 'Tis not the holy spirit of God calls these men to the Ministry, but Covetousness the root of all evil. Wherefore to avoid all these grievous Sins, we must shun Covetousness (for they that will be rich, fall into Temptation) and Preach Freely, and when we have so done, we must still say, we are unprofitable Servants, we have done what was our Duty to do. They that Preach for reward, Christ will say unto them as he did to the Pharises, they have their reward, and all the reward they are like to have in this Life. But he that is content with his allowance of meat and livery, in the mean time, shall in the end, when he has done his Days work, receive an unmeasurable reward; even Eternal Life. And as he did the work Freely, not for the sake of reward, so shall God Freely give him a reward, not of Merit, but of Grace. I shall now answer some few objections, that may be made, and then conclude. 1st. They will object, That this Preaching for nothing will make us Poor, and thereby Contemptible. I answer, the Apostles were Poor, yet very honourable. But by your own objection, you tacitly confess, that 'tis not your Virtue or Worth, but your Riches that renders you honourable; and then the respect and honour you have, is not given to you, but to your money. When an Ass went through the City with a golden Image on his back, the superstitious People fell on their knees and worshipped: The silly Ass thought they had worshipped him, whereas they worshipped only the golden Image on his back. Just so the common People do honour, and worship Rich Church men for the sake of their God, their Mammon, their Silver and golden Images. Conscisum Argentum in titulos faciesa minutas. Juvenal. 2ly. they object, That the Apostles where Rich-men; Had they not more than any of our Churchmen? For did not many men sell their whose Estates, and bring the price thereof, and laid it at the Apostles feet. Acts. 4. v. 37. Very true. But the Apostles were not much the Richer for it: For they were not so good Husbands as to Pocket it up, (as our Priests, etc. do) but distribution was made for the relief and necessity of the Poor Christians, according as they had need. v. 35. Let them look to it, that appropriate to themselves the Revenues of the Church, which were given by Religious Papists, and put into the hands of Churchmen, not that they should, like Judas, convert it to their own Private use, but employ it to the relief of the Poor. 3ly. They object, that they have not received their talon Freely, (as the Apostles did) but that they gave money for their Learning, for their Degrees, for their Orders, Licences, Institution, Induction, and (I believe they may truly say) for their Presentation too. And how do we receive Freely then. I answer, They are very ungrateful to God, who deny him to be the Author and giver of every good thing we lawfully enjoy. He gave us all things Freely, and we are ungrateful if we do not Freely give to him, what he has so Freely given us. If they get into the Church by Bribery, Simony, Perjury, or any other unlawful way, they may not thank God, but the Devil for it; and he will upbraid them with it afterwards to their shame, that he made them Rich. 4ly. They object, that they that serve at the Altar, should live by the Altar: And Bp. Sanderson saith, that since God himself has ordained Wages to him that labours in his work, he may not only expect it, but even exact it too, from those that would unconscionably defraud him thereof. I answer, They that serve at the Altar should live by the Altar; But can they not live without 5 or 6 hundred, or a 1000 l. or 4 or 5 Thousand pounds a Year? If they expect, or exact more, than what is enough to keep them and their Families alive, they expect and exact more than God hasallowed the very Apostles themselves. But to return your objection on your own heads, if they that serve at the Altar, should live by the Altar, why are you so unresonable, as to deny your Journeymen, that serve for you at the Altar, to live by it, but are many of them forced to get their live by teaching School, or some other way. I allow then, that if unconscionable men will deny you your Meat and Clothing, you may exact it of them, (provided you Labour in the Work) But I think it were better (by Bp. sanderson's leave) not to go to Law with ungrateful People for a little Victuals and Drink, but rather (as Christ commanded the Apostles) to shake of the dust from your Feet, as a witness against them, and so leave them. By all that has been said, I hope it appears plainly, that it is the Duty of Christ's Ministers, (notwithstanding God has allowed them Food, etc.) to execute their Office Freely, without respect to that, or any other reward; when we have done thus, we must yet confess we are unprofitable Servants, we have done but what was our duty to do, and woe be to us (as St. Paul said of himself) if we Preach not the Gospel, and that Freely too. Were this lesson well learned of us, there would be no striving after Pluralities and dignities, no Bribery nor Simony nor Perjury in the Church, but that a righteous, and gracious, and learned Person that is Poor, might as soon be advanced to a Bishopric, as an ignorant, covetous, ungracious Person that is Rich. They that seek for Rectories, Vicaridges, Bishoprics for the sake of gain, are no better than those that followed Christ for the sake of the Loaves: And are no better ahen the Heathens: (for after all these things do the Heathens seek.) When Christianity began to Flourish, and Kings and Emperors to embrace the Christian Faith; and out of their zeal for Religion, made Laws for the support of Churchmen, and admitted none into Offices but Christians; many wicked Persons professed themselves Christians, merely to get Offices and Preferment; just as our Sea and Land Captains and Officers, who living in a constant and habitual Practice of Cursing, Swearing, Blaspheming, etc. do yet take the Communion to qualify them for the King's Service. So ungodly Men screw themselves into the Ministry for the sake of Gain: men I say, for no godly man desires the Office of a Bishop or Priest, for the sake of filthy Lucre. I am sorry that the Liberal Arts should become servile, and Divinity itself made a Slave to Mammon. I am sorry that the pretended Disciples of Christ, should strive to be so very much Richer than their Master; and they that are not so good Teachers as the Apostles, should yet desire to be so very much above them. I am sorry that Covetousness has crept into the Hearts of Churchmen: 'Twas the Covetousness of the Clergy brought in those abominable Errors into the Church of Rome; as Purgatory, Praying for the dead, Indulgences, Pardons, and Intercession to Saints, by which means they gulled and fooled the ignorant deluded vulgar, and got much of their Lands from them to the Church: Yet these Popish Bishops and Kings, did great works of Charity, with what they by their cunning Devices got from the People: They Built and endowed abundance of Colleges and Schools, Hospitals and Churches. But the Protestants, that have these things at present in their Possession, do make a worse use than those Papists did; for these employ the same to the support of their own Pride and Luxury. 'Tis Covetousness makes the Roman party strive to bring in Popery again, that so they may recover their ill gotten Lands. 'Tis Covetousness in the adverse Party that makes them prick up their Ears, with hopes one time or another to get uppermost; that they may enjoy the Riches of the Church: All quarrelling betwixt these Parties about Religion, is but like that of Rivals, contending for a Rich Lady, take away her Dowry and her Covetous Rivals will soon quit their pursuit. Veniunt a dote sagittae. None will follow her for her Beauty or Virtue. Just so let the Church be made Poor, and disrobed of her gorgeous Ornaments, and then you shall see, these false Lovers will soon forsake her. He is the true Lover only that Preaches freely, and loves Religion, not for her Riches, but for her Beauty of Holiness. Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Thus they cried out, not for love of the Goddess, but for fear if her Worship ceased their Gain and Profit would cease together; 'Twas for the sake of Gain that they served a false Goddess: 'Tis for the sake of gain that Covetous men serve the true God, as the Devil falsely upbraided Job. A true Churchman, (and every true Christian) must look higher than the things below, and be content to suffer for Christ's sake, proposing to himself Afflictions, Reproaches, Poverty, yea and Death itself, if the honour of God and the defence of his Truth require it. For the true Pastor, as he ought not, so neither can he reasonably expect to grow rich in this World; because his business is to rebuke Sin, and not to please men by flattery or connivance. Now 'tis not reasonable to think that such a Reformer should have much favour from the World. No, they that tell Truth, shall be fed with the bread of Affliction and the water of Affliction, whilst the false Prophets shall be fed at Jezebels Table. The World loves the Hireling best, because the Hireling always Preaches pleasing things, otherwise they know they shall forfeit their Hire. Thus they have their great Live, not for declaring the whole Truth, but for holding their Tongues, just as a false Witness is suborned or hired to be silent when he should speak the Truth. The Devil sometimes gives Churchmen great Live to stop their Mouths, that they may not Preach against Popery or Rebellion, or any work of Darkness, that Satan the Prince of Darkness is about. Just as the Thief in the Fable, offered the Dog a piece of bread to bribe him to forbear Barking. A true Witness will speak the Truth without being Hired to do it, but a false Witness must be suborned and Hired, and these Hirelings are the only Favourites of the World: The people love the Hirelings, because they flatter them, but hate the true Pastors because they boldly tell the unpleasing Truth: According as the Prophet Jeremiah has said, cap. 5.30.31. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, etc. and my people love to have it so: etc. The Hireling sells his Sermons at as dear a rate as he can; and we say in the Proverb, Magis illa juvant, quae pluris emuntur. Things dear bought, are good for Ladies; those delicate people that cannot endure the severity of God's Truth, are best pleased with those temporising fawning Chaplains, that sow Pillows, and daub with untempered Mortar. A Hireling by corrupting the Word of God gets Preferment, but a true Pastor like John the Baptist, sometimes loses his Life for telling the Truth. If Christ whipped out of the Temple, such as Bought and Sold there, What shall become of them that Buy and sell the very Temples themselves? What shall become of them that Sell their very Sermons and Prayers, etc. What shall become of them that turn the holy Calling into a mercenary Trade for Gain? I for my part am no Hireling, but a Member of that pure and unspotted Church, all whose Sons resemble their heavenly Father, in giving Freely what he has freely given them. For as God has freely given to us life and being, and all things, yea and his own Son Freely, so does every one of his Children, freely impart and communicate to each other. 'Tis not the Prayers, nor Ceremonies, nor Articles, nor Homilies I Object against, but the Pride and Covetousness of the present Church. And therefore that Church, wherein Preaching is made a Trade for gain, that Church wherein Dignities are bestowed by Partiality, that Church wherein there is no respect to Learning: That Church which forbids Marriage, that Church which Beats and Banishes her Pastors for Preaching the same sound Doctrine she pretends to maintain, that Church wherein Buying and Selling of Parsonages, etc. are constantly practised, that Church that takes no Care of her own, namely those of her own Household. I do renounce, with all the covetous Desires thereof, as being fully persuaded, that the nearer to this Church, the farther from God. Ad Concionatores Mercenarios. Presbyter Argento conductus Rostra fatigat: Praemia si tollas, Presbyter ille silet. Illum facundum fulvi spes reddidit Auri: Hac dempiâ taciti Piscis ad instar erit. Histrio, Tibicen, Cantores Causidicique Hi vocem vendunt, Presbyteriq, pij. Unicus est Vates contemptus ridiculusque Officium tantum, Praemia nulla petit. Sol non conductus praebet sua lumina Mundo: Et non conductus munere fungor Ego. To the Mercenary Preachers. In English thus, By bribes of Silver Priest is Hired to Preach: Take away those, and ho'll no longer Teach. Alas! 'tis Money makes him Eloquent: His Voice is gone when golden Hopes are spent. Actors and Fiddlers, Songsters Pleaders do Their Voices sell, and so do Preachers too One Prophet vile, and scorned, yet has regard To th' Office only, not to the Reward. The Sun's bright Flames to Mortals Freely Shine: And whilst I Preach for nothing, so do mine. — Loripedem Rectus derideat, Aethiopem albus. Juvenal. The names of some of those Places where Jos. Perkins, has Preached Freely. Westminster Abbey 1 Lincoln's Inn 2 Trinity Chappel 1 Oxenden Chappel 2 Knights bridge about 20 St. foster's 1 St. Catherine Colemans 2 Wappin Chappel 1 Marabon 4 Hogidon Hospital 1 White Chapel 1 In Middlesex. Teddington 1 Brentford 2 Fulham 1 Chelsea 6 In Surrey. Kingston upon Thames 2 Peterson 1 Battersea 8 Tootin 6 Epsom 20 ewil 20 Astead 3 Clannon 1 Oakwood-Chappel 9 In Kent. Deptford 1 Woolwich where I was Banished. 20 Eltham 1 Hampshire. Winchester 1 Portsmouth 1 Kingston 1 Southampton 5 Pear-tree 4 Abbots Ann 9 Amport 2 Wiltshire. West-grimstead Essex. Mersea Island. Oxfordshire. Clogs and other adjacent Places 3 Binsey 1 Hincksea 1 St. bartholomew's Hospital 7 Gloucestershire. Wickwarr, where I was Beaten for my Pains 14 Addersley 2 Newington 2 A Chapel near Newington 1 Bath Abbey 1 Bath Abbey 1 June 27 About 7 or 8 hundred times in all, and yet I am not weary of well doing. — Ingratium dieas, omnia dixeris. FINIS. The Author of this Book, wears a white Scarf and Girdle; as the Badge of his Profession, and to distinguish him from all Hirelings.